House Republicans vote to keep Liz Cheney in leadership

Washington, Feb 4 Republicans have voted to keep Liz Cheney, the third-highest ranking party leader in the US House of Representatives who had announced last month that she would vote to impeach former President Donald Trump, in leadership.

The 145-61 vote on Wednesday night in favour of Cheney was conducted by secret ballot after House Republicans' closed-door "family discussion" for hours on the day, reports Xinhua news agency.

Cheney found a powerful ally in House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during Wednesday's meeting.

"People can have differences of opinion ... Liz has a right to vote her conscience. And at the end of the day we'll be united," McCarthy said during a break in the midst of the meeting, noting he wanted to end the internal feud.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has strongly condemned Trump for his role in the deadly January 6 Capitol riot.

"The President of the US (Trump) summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack," she said during the House impeachment process.

"Everything that followed was his doing," she added.

The Democrats-controlled House voted to impeach Trump over "incitement of insurrection" in a 232-197 vote on January 13, making him the first U.S. President to be impeached twice.

Ten Republican lawmakers, including Cheney, crossed the party line to cast the "yes" vote in the second impeachment vote.

( With inputs from IANS )