Liz Cheney Urges House Members to Vote Their Conscience

WASHINGTON (AP) — With impeachment pressure mounting, the House is speeding ahead to try to oust President Donald Trump from office.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to “vote your conscience,” according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call cited in a story by The Associated Press.

The single count of impeachment charges Trump with “incitement of insurrection” over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Cheney has spoken critically of Trump’s actions, but has not said publicly how she will vote.

As lawsuits of alleged election fraud mounted after the Nov. 3 general election, she asked Trump to show proof or else respect the results.

In a prepared statement, Cheney repeated the importance of respecting the electoral process, saying the United States is governed by the rule of law and that the president must abide by it.

She also denounced Trump after the riot in a Tweet: "We just had a violent mob assault the Capitol in an attempt to prevent those from carrying out our Constitutional duty. There is no question that the President formed the mob, the President incited the mob, the President addressed the mob. He lit the flame."

Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House, followed with this Tweet as Congress met to count the Electoral College votes: "We will finish our Constitutional duty and count the electoral votes. This must never happen again. Our republic depends upon and is defined by the peaceful transfer of power. We will abide by our oath and ensure that happens."

Other Republicans calling for Trump's removal from office include Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Democrats are pushing first for the vice president and Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office.

If that fails, impeachment proceedings are set for Wednesday.

Vice President Mike Pence met with Trump Monday evening for the first time since the Capitol attack, and the vice president he has shown no inclination to invoke the Constitution's 25th Amendment to push Trump out.

Trump denounced Pence before the attack on the Capitol.

President-elect Joe Biden said Monday that those who “engaged in sedition” must be held accountable.

The FBI is warning of more unrest ahead of Inauguration Day.