Cheney: Congressional commission should narrowly review Capitol siege

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third highest-ranking House Republican, publicly broke from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Monday, telling reporters a proposed independent commission should focus solely on the deadly Capitol insurrection, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: Cheney's remarks reflect a widening gap between the two high-profile Republicans. McCarthy has said the bipartisan commission should broaden its scope to include other instances of political violence, citing Black Lives Matter and Antifa protests.

What she's saying: "What happened on Jan. 6 is unprecedented in our history, and I think that it's very important that the commission be able to focus on that," Cheney told reporters at the House GOP's annual policy retreat in Florida, per Reuters.

• "I'm very concerned, as all my colleagues are, about the violence that we saw, the BLM, the Antifa violence last summer," she added. "I think that's a different set of issues, a different set of problems and a different set of solutions.
• "And so, I think it's very important that the Jan. 6 commission stays focused on what happened on Jan. 6, and what led to that day."
• Her comments support Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) position on the matter.

The big picture: It's not the first time Cheney and McCarthy have publicly disagreed in recent months. She was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach the former president.