The House Republican Conference recently voted to elect Rep. Elise Stefanik as its chairwoman, just two days after the group ousted Rep. Liz Cheney amid strong political tension over the party’s future. She’d remained steadfast in her opposition to former President Donald Trump and the “dangerous lies” she claimed he’d spread about the 2020 election being stolen from him. She was removed by a voice vote.
Stefanik won 134-46 in a secret ballot vote, which was considered a ‘landslide’ win in the third-highest position in House Republican leadership. A few members, such as Chip Roy and Jim Jordan, mounted as last-minute challengers but only received single votes. Stefanik has been backed and endorsed by Trump and top House GOP leaders after pledging to fight to keep Republicans as one voice heading into the 2022 midterm elections and undo the damage that the Biden-Pelosi agenda is doing across America.
“I wanted to thank my colleagues for the opportunity to serve as the House Republican conference chair. I have prioritized listening to all members of our republican conference and my focus is on unity. I also want to thank President Trump for his support. He is a critical part of our Republican team,” Stefanik said.
Trump released a statement congratulating Stefanik for her big and overwhelming victory while adding that the House GOP is united and the Make America Great Again movement is strong. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also released a congratulatory statement, adding that there’s a lot of work to do in this conference as the “policies of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden are destroying this nation.”
Former Trump adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle called Stefanik a “fearless warrior for our Constitution and the MAGA movement” who will fight for the forgotten men and women being left behind by Biden and the radical Dems.
As the newly elected House GOP Conference Chair, Stefanik promised the American people that House Republicans would put forth policies focused on growing our economy, getting people back to work, reopening our schools, promoting American energy independence, securing our border, strengthening our national security, and protecting our Constitution.
Stefanik said she’d spent the last several weeks listening to the feedback, goals, and priorities of Republican lawmakers. She said that it will not be an easy job, but that they are stronger when united as a team. “Members of our conference have a simple and unifying goal – winning back the majority in 2022 to save our country from the radical Democrat Socialist agenda under Speaker Pelosi and President Biden,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik also made it clear that the Republican Party wanted to work with Trump, whereas Cheney repeatedly opposed Trump having any role in the party. Fox News Bret Baier even grilled Liz Cheney on her way out over her obsession with focusing on Trump vs. focusing on Biden’s agenda. He asked why she’s spending so much energy opposing Trump and that the people elected a congressperson to fight for them and fight against Biden’s agenda.
“I’m answering the questions. We need to make sure that the American people recognize and understand that the election wasn’t stolen, that we shouldn’t perpetuate the big lie, and that there’s real danger,” Cheney claimed.
She went on to say that they are sworn in to protect the “peaceful transition of power.” Baier points out that Republicans deserve leaders that represent the views of the constituents, not their own personal vendettas. “…and my point is that you were GOP Conference Chair, and I’m just articulating what some of your colleagues have said, that they thought that that was a moment where they thought that your focus on the former president was more important to you than articulating GOP agenda and what they wish to do,” Baier said.
Cheney continued to use vague terms such as “misinformed” and “the big lie” to try and explain why she’s been more fixated on Trump and what he’s said over the last few months than the Biden-Harris administration agenda. Those kinds of ‘buzz phrasing’ are what we’ve been hearing from the Democrats. Career politicians and political families are all about securing their positions and maintaining more power. Cheney has been more about giving the impression that the GOP is in crisis than keeping the party alive.
Stefanik will advance the conservative ideas that keep the Republican Party alive and keep away from the distractions of the radical left playbook. She has promised to include a disciplined and unified message from Republicans on key issues, provide an offensive communications plan every single day, and continue the efforts to empower all GOP members. It’s time to rebuild after the pandemic and get back on track.
