Rep. Liz Cheney criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday, alleging that McCarthy seeks to undermine the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots "at every opportunity."
Cheney, a critic of former President Donald Trump who is derided by him and some GOP members as a ''Republican in name only'' (RINO), was appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as one of eight members of the 13-member Jan. 6 committee.
"There must be an investigation that is nonpartisan, that is sober, that is serious, that gets to the facts, wherever they may lead," Cheney said, according to The Hill. "And at every opportunity, the minority leader has attempted to prevent the American people from understanding what happened to block this investigation."
Cheney's comments come after McCarthy, R-Calif., pulled all five of his picks for the committee after Pelosi rejected McCarthy's top two picks: Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana.
Pelosi ''objected to two, one of whom may well be a material witness to events that led to that day, that led to Jan. 6,'' Cheney said. ''The other, who disqualified himself by his comments in particular over the last 24 hours demonstrating that he is not taking this seriously — he is not dealing with the facts of this investigation, but rather viewed it as a political platform."
"[Pelosi] has objected to two members, and the rhetoric around this from the minority leader and from those two members has been disgraceful. This must be an investigation that is focused on facts," Cheney added, "and the idea that any of this has become politicized is really unworthy of the office that we all hold and unworthy of our republic."
Cheney was ousted from her role as House GOP Conference chair in May. On Wednesday, she also offered her thoughts on the probability of McCarthy becoming speaker in 2022 should the Republicans garner a majority in the House.
"I think that any person who would be third in line to the presidency must demonstrate a commitment to the Constitution and a commitment to the rule of law, and Minority Leader McCarthy has not done that,” she said.