Who is Liz Cheney?
Liz Cheney is a well-known American politician who has been in the news for two reasons: her involvement in the inquiry into the Capitol incident on January 6th and her vocal condemnation of former President Donald Trump. Not only that, but she was born into the Cheney family, which includes one of the most consequential vice presidents in American history.
Elizabeth Lynne Cheney came into this world in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 28, 1966. Her name is Liz. Her parents, Dick and Lynne Cheney, were prominent Republicans, and she is the first of two daughters they had. Liz Cheney was a public school student in Casper, Wyoming, and she earned her high school diploma from Natrona County in 1984.
After that, in 1988, she received a bachelor’s degree in history from Colorado College. Additionally, she was a Rotary Scholar for a year at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh. Afterwards, in 1996, she earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
With the 2009 co-founding of the nonprofit group Keep America Safe, which promoted a robust national defense and a hardline foreign policy, Liz Cheney made her political debut. In addition to defending her father’s legacy, she became a regular pundit on conservative media channels like Fox News, where she lambasted the Obama administration’s policies on Iran, Israel, and terrorism. Additionally, she was an outspoken supporter of Republican candidates in both the 2010 and 2012 elections, and she was a member of the Tea Party.
Liz Cheney Political career
Liz Cheney ran for the seat left open in Wyoming’s at-large congressional district following the retirement of Republican Representative Cynthia Lummis in 2016. With 40% of the vote in the Republican primary, she was victorious. In the general election, she comfortably beat Democratic challenger Ryan Greene with 62% of the vote. Her margins of victory in the 2018 and 2020 elections were quite close.
As a member of the House Republican Conference, the House Natural Resources Committee, and the House Armed Services Committee, Liz Cheney swiftly became a prominent figure in the House. Additionally, she became an outspoken opponent of Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his decision to pull American forces out of Afghanistan and Syria, his close ties with Russia and North Korea, and his betrayal of longtime friends like the Ukrainian and Kurdish peoples.
Additionally, she countered Trump’s assaults and conspiracy theories by defending the rule of law and the United States intelligence community.
The 2020 presidential election, which Trump denied winning and wrongly said was stolen from him, deepened the divide between Liz Cheney and Trump and his supporters. Of the few Republican party officials who congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration and recognized his triumph, Liz Cheney stood out. She went on to say that Trump should be held responsible for stirring up the violent crowd that attempted to reverse the election results on January 6, 2021, by storming the U.S. Capitol.
She was one of ten Republicans who joined Democrats in the historic vote to impeach Trump for his participation in the uprising, and her vote was significant. Additionally, she has accepted the position of vice chair of the House January 6th Committee, which Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed to look into the incident that broke out in the Capitol and its aftermath.
Republican colleagues were quick to accuse Liz Cheney of leaving the party and joining with the Democrats due to her position on Trump and the Capitol brawl. She was the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House and head of the House Republican Conference, a position from which she repeatedly tried to be removed.
After a 145-to-61 secret ballot victory in February 2021, she made it through the first try. She had failed her second attempt when, in May 2021, a voice vote removed her from her position. A staunch Trump supporter, New York Representative Elise Stefanik, stepped in her stead. As far as Trump and his falsehoods are concerned, Liz Cheney has pledged to keep defending democracy and the Constitution.
Is Liz Cheney gay?
Liz Cheney is not gay, but she has a sister, Mary Cheney, who is. Mary Cheney married her longtime partner, Heather Poe, in 2012. Liz Cheney, who is a Republican congresswoman from Wyoming, has expressed her opposition to same-sex marriage in the past, causing a rift with her sister and her family.
Liz Cheney said in 2013 that she was “not pro-gay marriage” and that she believed in the “traditional” definition of marriage. This angered Mary Cheney and Heather Poe, who accused Liz Cheney of being “dead wrong” and “offensive” on the issue
Where does Liz Cheney live now?
Liz Cheney and her husband Philip Perry live in their own home in McLean, Virginia, a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion on a cul-de-sac about 23 minutes from Washington, D.C. This has been their home base since 2006. They also own a home in Wilson, Wyoming, where they spend some of their time.
Is Liz Cheney the speaker of the house?
When the Republicans retook the House in the 2022 midterms, Liz Cheney was among the candidates who sought the job. However, she is not currently the speaker of the House. The contest was contentious and challenging since she was running against Jim Jordan, a longtime Trump supporter and friend who had the backing of the party’s extreme right.
Cheney, who had lost her leadership role in the House Republican Conference as a result of her criticism of Trump and participation in the January 6 committee, represented the moderate and anti-Trump wing of the Republican Party. She ran for office on a platform that included protecting the rule of law and the Constitution and bringing the Republican Party back from the brink of disrepute.
Jordan narrowly defeated Cheney in the speaker race after three rounds of voting. Despite her disappointment with the result, Cheney promised to keep fighting Trump and his efforts to weaken democracy. Some of Jordan’s followers had threatened her and other Republicans who were against him with physical force, and she condemned this as well. She characterized Jordan as “dangerous” and “unfit” to deliver the speech because of his involvement in Trump’s plots to revoke the 2020 election and spark the rebellion on January 6.
Liz Cheney, husband?
Liz Cheney’s husband is Philip Perry, an attorney and former government official who has worked in both the private and public sectors. He married Liz Cheney in 1993, and they have five kids between the two of them.
Philip Perry completed his education at Colorado College and Cornell Law School after being born in 1964. Both he and Liz Cheney were students at Colorado College when they first crossed paths. Before becoming a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, he worked for a number of other legal companies. From his time as general counsel for DHS, DOJ, and the Office of Management and Budget4, among other posts, he held during President George W. Bush’s administration.
Several high-profile cases and problems have engrossed Philip Perry, including the investigation of President Bill Clinton’s campaign finances, the regulation of chemical plant security, and the shielding of huge industrial businesses from accountability. He has also worked with Liz Cheney on her music and cinematic projects, including The Colors of Reality and The Blacks.
Liz Cheney family history
Liz Cheney is a prominent American politician who comes from a family with a long history of involvement in Republican politics and public service. Her family history can be traced back to her ancestors, who immigrated to America from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of her notable relatives include:
- Thomas Herbert Cheney (1869–1947), her great-grandfather, was a businessman and a member of the Utah House of Representatives.
- Richard Herbert Cheney (1915–1999), her grandfather, was a soil conservationist and a civil engineer.
- Richard Bruce Cheney (born 1941), her father, was the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009, under President George W. Bush. He also served as the secretary of defense from 1989 to 1993, under President George H. W. Bush, and as a U.S. representative from Wyoming from 1979 to 1989.
- Lynne Ann Vincent (born 1941), her mother, was the second lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. She is also an author, a scholar, and a former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- Mary Claire Cheney (born 1969), her sister, is a political consultant and an advocate for LGBT rights. She is married to Heather Poe, and they have two children.
- Philip Perry (born 1964), her husband, is a lawyer and a former general counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Elizabeth Perry, Philip Perry Jr., Grace Perry, and Richard Perry are her four children, who are students and aspiring professionals.
Liz Cheney’s net worth
As of 2021, Liz Cheney’s net worth was reported to be $20 million, making her one of the richest congresswomen. She has amassed her wealth through her extensive career in law, diplomacy, and politics. Her political ancestry is extensive; she is the daughter of the wealthy and influential former vice president, Dick Cheney.
Among Liz Cheney’s sources of income are her assets, speaking fees, book royalties, and her $174,000 annual salary as a U.S. representative. Philip Perry, who is both a lawyer and her spouse, has multi-million-dollar estates in Virginia and Wyoming. Additionally, they hold a portion of Great Northern Properties, a family-run oil and gas business worth more than $50 million.
As a result of her extensive career in public and private service, Liz Cheney‘s wealth has grown substantially throughout the years. The University of Wyoming and the George W. Bush Presidential Center are among the many organizations and causes that have benefited from her parents’ philanthropic contributions, and she has inherited a portion of their fortune.
In 2009, Liz Cheney co-founded the nonprofit organization Keep America Safe to promote a robust national defense and a hardline foreign policy. Since then, she has given to several political candidates and groups.