U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney was recognized over the weekend for putting her loyalty to her country ahead of her loyalty to her political party.
Cheney, R-Wyoming, along with U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina, and Fox News host Chris Wallace were each presented with a Jefferson-Lincoln Award over the weekend from the Panetta Institute for Public Policy and the three spoke about the awards on Wallace’s show Sunday.
Wallace asked Cheney about the balance between patriotism and partisanship.
“I think a lot of it has to do with being focused on substance and recognizing that there are places where we’re going to differ and that we ought to be engaged in fierce debates about those principles and the differences in substance and policy, but that at the end of the day, we are all Americans,” she said.
“We have to remember that we’re able to have those debates, have those discussions and differences of opinion because we have a firm, solid foundation in our Constitution. Our commitment to the Constitution has got to come above partisanship.”
The Jefferson-Lincoln awards are presented each year to people whose professional achievements represent exceptional commitment to the principles of democracy, to bipartisanship and a dedication to encouraging the healthy function of the American system of government through an informed electorate.
Cheney was singled out for her commitment to the country ahead of her party and Wallace said he believed one of the reasons she was being honored was due to her vote to impeach Former President Donald Trump. She is also one of the few Republicans serving on commission investigating the invasion of the Capitol on Jan. 6.
However, Wallace noted that Cheney lost her leadership position in the House because she went against her party and that she faces a “tough primary challenge” in Wyoming next year. He questioned why both Democrats and Republicans wouldn’t look at her example and shy away from “stepping out of line.”
“I fundamentally believe that at the end of the day, the success of this country and the future and the security of our constitutional underpinnings require that there are sometimes when you do have to say ‘Partisanship has to be put aside,'” Cheney said.
“I think that we’ve got to have two strong parties in this country, and I think the only way the Republican Party can go forward in strength is if we reject the lie, if we reject what happened on Jan. 6, if we reject the efforts that President Trump made, frankly, to steal the election, and if we tell voters the truth, and if we present ourselves to voters based on substance.
“I believe firmly in conservative principles and ideals, and I think those are the ones that are right for the nation, but in order to prevail, in order to win elections, we have to remember the most conservative of conservative ideals is embracing the Constitution and the rule of law. I think that at the end of the day, that is much more important than party politics,” she said.
Currently, Cheney faces a number of candidates in the House primary election next August, including Cheyenne attorney Harriet Hageman and state legislator Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne.
