U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney on Tuesday urged the nation’s leaders to stand up in defense of freedom.
“The security of our nation, the defense of our freedom, and America’s ability to continue to lead the world all demand that those of us who are elected and appointed officials conduct ourselves in ways that are worthy of the sacrifice so many have made in generations past for our freedom,” she said during her keynote speech to the Reagan Institute.
Cheney’s address covered a multitude of topics, from the need for America to be a global leader to the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January and the need for a strong military.
“Preserving peace and freedom requires that our adversaries and our allies know we have the will and the means to defend ourselves and our interests,” she said. “This means we must fund the defense of the nation. And we must do so at levels sufficient to maintain, or regain, our superiority.”
However, the nation must also be aware of the threats posed by actions from inside the country, such as the attack on the Capitol, she added.
“The freedom that others have fought and died for must not be squandered,” Cheney said. “Attacks on it, such as the one we saw on Jan. 6, must not be minimized. The freedom that we all defend belongs not to us. It belongs to our children and grandchildren. To them, we owe fidelity to the Constitution and a duty to uphold our oath, an oath we swore under God, to do everything necessary to defend it.”
Cheney has spoken about her dedication to the Constitution regularly during public appearances, mainly in response to the attack on the Capitol and her subsequent impeachment vote against former President Donald Trump.
Cheney also spoke out against white supremacy during her talk, saying that the Republican Party would not be the face of it.
“We will right the unforgivable wrongs of Jan. 6,” she said. “We will make our party worthy once again of the mantle of Lincoln and of Reagan.”
Members of white supremacist groups were identified as being part of the mob that attacked the Capitol.
