Republicans decide not to punish Marjorie Taylor Greene for supporting violence against Democrats

Greene has apologised for her comments

Credit: REUTERS

House Republicans opted on Wednesday not to punish a controversial congresswoman for supporting violence against Democrats and rejected an attempt to oust a leader who had voted to impeach President Donald Trump.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a representative from Georgia, has claimed that some school shootings were faked and that September 11 was a conspiracy and Democrats have called for her to be thrown out of Congress.

On Thursday Republicans voted 145 to 61 against stripping Liz Cheney of her position as the No 3 Republican in the House of Representatives.

The twin actions, taken in a closed-door meeting, amounted to an uneasy truce for a party that has faced internal strife following Mr Trump’s tumultuous presidency.

Ms Cheney, like nine other House Republicans, had voted to impeach Mr Trump last month on a charge of insurrection after the deadly attack on the US Capitol a week earlier. The other 197 had voted against impeachment.

"We’re not going to be in a situation where people can pick off any member of leadership," Ms Cheney said after the vote.

She told CNN on Wednesday night she did not regret her vote to impeach Mr Trump.

"Absolutely not," she said.

Cheney was not rebuked for voting to impeach Trump

Credit: BLOOMBERG

Republicans also decided not to take action against Ms Greene, who has propagated a series of unfounded conspiracy theories and, according to CNN, voiced support for violence against Democratic lawmakers.

Republicans in the room said Ms Greene apologised for those comments. She received a standing ovation from some members, according to media reports.

Ms Greene still faces an effort by Democrats who control the House to strip her of two high-profile committee assignments, with a vote likely on Thursday.

"Anybody who advocates assassinations of members of Congress or anybody, I don’t believe should enjoy the privilege of serving on a committee," Democratic Representative Jim McGovern said after the House Rules Committee voted to advance the motion. He said Ms Greene should resign or be expelled from Congress.

Republicans said voters, not lawmakers, should decide whether to punish her for those remarks.

"They’re going to judge her on things that were said that she has now denounced, before she was ever a member of Congress," House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said.

Mr McCarthy admitted said Ms Greene’s comments had caused "deep wounds".

"Past comments from and endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene on school shootings, political violence and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories do not represent the values or beliefs of the House Republican Conference," he said.

"I condemn those comments unequivocally. I condemned them in the past and continue to condemn them today."

Ms Greene, 46, took office just last month.

Ms Cheney, 54, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, served in Republican administrations before first winning election to Congress in 2016.