Feb. 9 (UPI) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday criticized the Republican National Committee’s decision to censure Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for serving on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.
McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters he did not believe the RNC should be “singling out members of the party who may have different views from the majority” while also taking exception with the committee’s decision to refer to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol as “legitimate political discourse” in the resolution.
“We all were here. We saw what happened,” he said. “It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next. That’s what it was.”
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the RNC’s mention of “legitimate political discourse” was not referring to the riots but instead to the House select committee’s decision to subpoena RNC officials who were in Florida on Jan. 6.
“Anybody who broke in and caused damage, that was not called for. Those people, we’ve said from the very beginning, should be in jail,” he said.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the passage referred to bystanders who “had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol” but have been caught up in Jan. 6 investigations.
The decision by the RNC last week to censure Cheney, R-Wyo., and Kinzinger, R-Ill., for their participation on the panel marked the first time the party has censured a sitting Republican in Congress.
McConnell on Tuesday said he did not believe that it was the RNC’s job to issue such penalties, but asserted he still has confidence in McDaniel.
“Traditionally, the view of the national party committees is we support all members of our party, regardless of their positions on some issues,” he said.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, joined McConnell in expressing concern regarding the RNC’s actions against the lawmakers.
“I don’t think you can kick out of the party everybody you disagree with, or it’s going to be a minority party,” Cornyn said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., however, said RNC members were within their rights to censure Cheney and Kinzinger as the only to Republican members on the select committee.
“What is a distraction is to have a bunch of D.C. Republicans bashing other Republicans,” Hawley said. “Listen, whatever you think about the RNC vote, it reflects the view of most Republican voters.”