Liz Cheney: My Hero

“For the scientist, the moment is the Nobel or the Lasker; for the journalist, the Pulitzer; the actor, the Oscar. For those in government, it is the Kennedy.” – Governor Lowell Weicker

The John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was created in 1989 by Kennedy’s family to honor the 35^th president and recognize political courage. If anyone deserves that award in 2021, it should go to the U.S. Representative from Wyoming, Liz Cheney. She is the House’s Republican Conference chairwoman and third-highest ranking House member behind Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, and Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. 

Every state has two senators to represent that state in the Senate. The House of Representatives is different. According to the Census population count, members of the House are apportioned to the state according to population. For example, the most populous state, California, has 53 representatives while Wyoming has one. Consequently, Cheney has to represent the entire state, a state that overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in 2020 with 70.4% of the state’s vote going to the sitting president. 

In 2019, Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Not one House Republican voted for impeachment. However, on January 13, 2021, the House voted a second time to impeach the embattled president for incitement of insurrection. On January 6, when Congress was counting votes from the Electoral College, President Trump faced an angry crowd. The President of the United States falsely claimed voter fraud and suggested, “You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.” Then the rioters stormed the Capitol, occupied, vandalized, and looted parts of the building, and many became violent by assaulting Capitol Police officers and reporters. They erected gallows on the Capitol grounds, and attempted to find lawmakers to take hostage and harm. As a result, four rioters were killed along with one police officer. 

Cheney faced her peers and explained why she voted for impeachment. The congresswoman said, “[Trump] summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” and “there has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” Only 9 other Republicans agreed with her and voted their conscience and not for their party.

Yes, the nine Republicans were courageous, but Cheney, the sole representative from her state, risked her position in the Republican Party and the wrath of her red state. According to a January 25-26 study by Trump pollster, John McLaughlin, almost three-fourths of GOP voters and more than 60 percent of all voters in Wyoming now have an unfavorable view of the congresswoman. 

It takes moral strength to stand up for what you believe is right. It takes fearlessness to go against the party line and vote your conscience. After the vote, Liz Cheney faced the wrath of her Republican peers. House Republicans met with Trump loyalists pushing to oust her as House GOP conference chairwoman in a 145-61 vote conducted by secret ballot after hours of intense debate. Cheney was vindicated, however, for her courage, Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, should receive the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for putting her country’s interests over her political party. 

Recent Recipients of the Profile in Courage Award

2011- Elizabeth Redenbaugh- Civil Rights

2012- Robert Ford- Human Rights

2013- Gabrielle Giffords- Gun Control

2014- George H.W. Bush- Political Compromise

2015- Bob Inglis- Environment

2016- Dannel Malloy- Immigration

2017- Barack Obama- U.S. Presidency

2018- Mitch Landrieu- Civil Rights

2019-Nancy Pelosi- National Interest over Party