On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell resisted the censures of the two House Republicans for their participation in investigating Jan. 6’s attack on Capitol. He argued that it is “not the job of the Republican National Committee” to single out its members and disputed the assertion that the riots were “legitimate politics discourse.”
McConnell’s public statements about Rep. Liz Cheney in Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger in Illinois are not surprising given his history with members of his party, including former President Donald Trump, who downplayed the violence of Jan. 6. McConnell stated that he still believes it was a violent insurrection to prevent peaceful transfer of power.
“With respect to the suggestion the RNC should pick and choose Republicans who should be supported, historically the view of national party committees has been that we support every member of our party regardless their position on certain issues,” said the Kentucky Republican at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
McConnell stated that he has confidence in RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, but disagreed with her decision to call out members for differences.
He said, “The question is whether or not RNC should sort-of be singling out members our party who may hold different views than the majority.” “That’s not the RNC’s job.”
At its winter meeting, the committee raised eyebrows not only about the unprecedented censures Cheney and Kinzinger who both voted for Trump’s impeachment over Jan. 6 but also over the language used in describing the riots to be “legitimate discourse”. The censure resolution did not address the deadly violence that included attacks on police officers as well as threats against elected officials, including Mike Pence, then-Vice President.
Republicans are divided by the decision of the national party. They have a good chance at winning back majorities in Congress in November’s midterm elections. However, they fear that focusing solely on Jan. 6 and 2020 could lead to a distracting focus. Some people wanted to avoid discussing the RNC resolution. While some openly criticised their party, others pushed back against Cheney and Kinzinger’s participation on a Democratic-led commission.
“They stated in the resolution that they wanted Republicans unification. “That was not unifying action,” GOP Senator John Cornyn of Texas said to reporters at Capitol Monday evening. But on the other side, I don’t believe they should have accepted the appointment of a partisan committee. It’s clear that’s what it has become.
GOP Senator Susan Collins, Maine, who voted for Trump’s impeachment trial conviction, described the RNC reframing Jan. 6 as “absurd” in her opinion. She called it a distraction for her party which holds the upper hand this autumn. Midterm years are a time when the White House party loses seats.
Collins stated Monday night that the Republican Party had a clear advantage in the issues that would determine the outcome of the fall election. “But, every minute that is spent on defending criminals or litigating lost elections moves us further from our goal of winning this fall,” Collins said Monday evening.
House Republicans have, however, taken a different approach to many of their Senate counterparts. Although most of the Senate Republicans have been silent or deflected to the point, some House leadership members defended the RNC decision and continued to call the Jan. 6 select commission a partisan exercise.
“The RNC is entitled to take any action, and my position is that you are ultimately held responsible to voters in your district,” Elise Stefanik, Chair of the House GOP Conference, stated Tuesday at Tuesday’s press conference.
Stefanik stated that the language regarding the attack on the Capitol last year was “very clear” and that Republicans had condemned the violence of Jan. 6. We condemn the violence committed by violent criminals on federal buildings in 2020, as well as parts of Washington D.C…. We consider the Jan. 6 Commission political theater. It is about punishing partisan enemies.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California, appointed Cheney and Kinzinger last summer to the Jan. 6 select panel. Kinzinger will be retiring at the end, but Cheney is up against a GOP primary challenge in her reelection campaign. The RNC also approved a rule change to allow Harriet Hageman, her Trump-endorsed primary opponent, to be supported at the winter meeting. However, no decisions have been made.
Democratsreacted quickly to the RNC’s distortion of the tragic events of January 6. In his Monday speech on the floor, Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader from New York, addressed the RNC resolution. He argued that it supports Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in 2020.
Schumer stated, “For the national chairman of one of America’s two major political parties, to sign onto the Big Lie,” “and more than just that, to excuse it by attributing even a shred legitimacy to it, was chilling and plainly dangerous.”
