Liz Cheney, the former GOP Congresswoman from Wyoming who infamously lost her seat in a primary after opposing former President Donald Trump’s deception around the 2020 presidential race, is staying involved.
This week, she commented publicly on the decision by House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) against hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a joint address to Congress, meaning remarks delivered to both chambers together. The foreign leader did speak with the Senate as a whole, but for the House, Zelenskyy only met with leadership, like McCarthy and House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.). McCarthy claimed his rejection of Zelenskyy’s push for a joint session, something the foreign leader has addressed previously, was because of time constraints. However, the rest of the context here is obvious. Far-right Republicans, including House members whose support might be critical to funding the government, have opposed aid to Ukraine.
And Cheney wasn’t a fan. “This is pathetic,” she wrote of McCarthy’s decision rejecting Zelenskyy on X, formerly known as Twitter. “@SpeakerMcCarthy doesn’t deserve to have a portrait of Ronald Reagan on his office wall. Under his leadership, @HouseGOP has abandoned everything Reagan stood for.”
McCarthy throughout his time trying to lead House Republicans and the chamber as a whole has been accused of trying to serve the interests of the party’s far-right members, though it’s not really working out for the Californian. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has still been talking about potentially trying to force McCarthy from the Speakership, and now, there’s still a significant amount of basic legislative work to accomplish in order to ensure the federal government’s continued funding beyond roughly just the next week or so. Votes in the House to just move forward with key funding legislation have recently failed, with McCarthy struggling to assemble the basic levels of Republican support needed to actually pass the things they themselves want as more extensive issues remain.
This is pathetic. @SpeakerMcCarthy doesn’t deserve to have a portrait of Ronald Reagan on his office wall. Under his leadership, @HouseGOP has abandoned everything Reagan stood for. https://t.co/aHnqEE3Q7B
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) September 22, 2023
