Liz and Dick Cheney join Democrats to mark Jan. 6 attack anniversary
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After attending the moment of silence to commemorate the anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 by former President Donald Trump supporters, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and her father Dick Cheney leave Capitol Hill, Washington on January 6th 2022.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
WASHINGTON — A surprise visit by Dick Cheney, the former vice president of the United States, to Capitol marked one year since the attack on Jan. 6, 20,21 on Capitol.
Reporters were told by the former vice president that he came to Washington to support Liz Cheney (a Wyoming Republican vice-chair of the House Select Committee looking into the attack on January 6). However, he wanted to be there to mark the tragic day.
It’s a significant historical event. “You can’t underestimate how important it” Dick Cheney declared before entering the House chamber with his daughter for a moment to reflect.
It was obvious that many Republicans agreed with the ex-VP’s assessment of the importance of the day. Except for two Cheneys, and one aide, all seats in the Republican section of this huge chamber were empty.
The past year has seen Liz Cheney become a pariah in her party for her willingness to criticize former President Donald Trump’s role in the inciting of the insurrection.
Republicans were not present Thursday as Democrats hosted events at the Capitol throughout the day.
Paper statements
There were no Republican senators who participated in a commemorative event in the Senate. Liz Cheney, the GOP’s only elected representative, attended the House morning session.
A few Republican Senators made written statements in an attempt to acknowledge the horror of the day that thousands of Trump supporters invaded the capitol.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said that one year later the anger and sadness of realizing it was Americans, who broke the heart of democracy and thwarted certification of lawful elections, remains with her.
“We must not ignore the lessons learned from January 6. Utah Senator Mitt Romney made this statement: “Democracy is fragile. It cannot survive without leaders that are integrity and character.”
Senate Republican policy luncheons will be ended by Sen. Mitt (R-UT), at the Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC on April 29, 2021.
Getty Images| Getty Images
Romney and Murkowski were two of the seven Republican senators that voted to impeach Trump last year for inciting the attack. They also made the first public statements Thursday.
Five other people voted for convicting were Susan Collins of Maine and Richard Burr from North Carolina.
Collins and Cassidy talked briefly this week about the anniversary of the attack in interviews with local media. Sasse gave the Omaha World-HeraldA statement that stressed the failure of the attempt to cancel the 2020 elections. The anniversary was not publicly commemorated by Toomey or Burr.
Republicans were also critical of Democrats’ actions, accusing them of using the anniversary celebration as a political weapon to attack Republicans.
In a letter to his fellow House minorities leaders earlier this week, McCarthy stated that “the actions of the day were unlawful and as wrongly as can be.” He also stated that Democrats “used it as an partisan political tool to further divide the country.”
Dick Cheney (ex-Vice President) watches as Liz Cheney, R. Wyo., took the House floor oath on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
The majority of blame lies with GOP leaders, according to the older Cheney who was a member of the House for 10 years in 1980s.
Dick Cheney, a Capitol spokesman said that he was deeply disappointed the Republican Party doesn’t have better leadership to save the Constitution.
Leader of the GOP
While McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell serve as the elected leaders of the Republican party, it is Trump — who does not hold an official position — who wields the most power over the GOP caucus.
Trump and his closest allies worked over the last year to fabricate a different version of events that occurred on January 6. This version states that the protesters who beat Capitol Police officers and demanded Vice President Mike Pence’s hanging are patriots, heroes and not rioters.
On Thursday, Trump echoed that view, issuing a series of statements repeating his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden by more than 6 million votes.
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