RNC censures Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger for Jan. 6 committee participation

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The Republican National Committee on Friday approved a resolution censuring Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., for their participation on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

It was the first time the party has censured a sitting Republican in Congress.

The resolution came under consideration at the RNC's winter meeting in Salt Lake City and urges the party to "immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the conference."

The resolution passed the RNC's resolutions committee unanimously on Thursday ahead of the full vote.

John Wahl of Alabama, one of several dozen co-sponsors of the resolution, told CBS News it's important for Republicans to support one another.

The move is the latest action by party leaders to punish key Republicans who are viewed as disloyal to former President Donald Trump.

Kinzinger tweeted Thursday that he has "no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution."

Cheney also tweeted about the issue but did not directly mention the resolution, saying, "the leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy."

Bill Palatucci, an RNC member from New Jersey, told CBS News the resolution is "distracting and counterproductive for our effort to win in November."

Cheney and Kinzinger were the only two Republicans in the House to serve on the committee when it was formed in July following their appointments by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In November, Wyoming Republicans said they no longer recognized Cheney as a member of their party. In September, Trump announced his support for Harriet Hagemen, who is challenging Cheney for her seat in the 2022 Republican primary.

That followed a move in May by House Republicans to remove Cheney from her position as House Conference chairwoman.

Kinzinger, meanwhile, announced in October that he was not running for re-election.

In May, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said he opposed an independent 9/11-style commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack.

Last month, the committee added McCarthy to its list of subpoenas to learn more about the events of that day.