Steve Scalise Doubles Down on Support for Ousting Liz Cheney

Scalise
Alex Brandon/AP Photo
Joshua Caplan

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) on Monday reaffirmed his support for removing Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as House Republican Conference chairwoman in the wake of her repeated criticism of former President Donald Trump.

Scalise expressed his support for the move at an event in his home state of Louisiana, telling USA Today politics reporter Greg Hilburn that Cheney has become more focused on supporting her personal agenda instead of the Republican House agenda.

Scalise’s comments follow the whip throwing his support behind Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to replace Cheney.

“House Republicans need to be solely focused on taking back the House in 2022 and fighting against Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and President [Joe] Biden’s radical socialist agenda, and Elise Stefanik is strongly committed to doing that, which is why Whip Scalise has pledged to support her for Conference Chair,” Scalise spokesperson Lauren Fine told Punchbowl News on Wednesday.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) all but sealed Cheney’s fate on Sunday by also endorsing Stefanik over the Wyoming Republican as well.

“To defeat Nancy Pelosi and the socialist agenda, we need to be united, and that starts with leadership. That’s why we will have a vote next week, and we want to be united and looking moving forward. I think that’s what will take place,” McCarthy told the Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures.

“Any member can take whatever position they believe in. That’s what the voters vote on the individuals, and they make that decision. What we are talking about, it’s a position in leadership,” he added. “We are in one of our biggest battles ever for this nation and the direction of whether this century will be ours. As conference chair, you have the most critical jobs of the messenger going forward.”

McCarthy wrote in a letter to House Republicans on Monday that they should anticipate a vote on recalling the conference chair on Wednesday.

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