The top House Republican refused on Wednesday to punish US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for spreading false and bigoted conspiracy theories and endorsing political violence against Democrats,
Minority leader Kevin McCarthy of California condemned the Georgia freshman's previous comments but declined to take away her posts on influential congressional committees.
After days of public silence and private agonising over what to do about Ms Greene – who has endorsed the executions of top Democrats, suggested school shootings were staged and said that a space laser controlled by Jewish financiers started a wildfire – Mr McCarthy issued a tortured statement that harshly denounced her past statements but argued she should face no consequences for them.
“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,” Mr McCarthy said.
The contortions over what to do about Ms Greene came days after Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the most powerful Republican in Washington, denounced her as a threat to his party and as more senators followed his lead.
The feuding played out behind closed doors well into Wednesday evening, as House Republicans debated stripping Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the chamber's number three Republican, of her leadership post, as a penalty for her vote to impeach president Donald Trump.
Ms Cheney ultimately emerged victorious after a 145-61 secret ballot vote. The lopsided results also amounted to a vote of confidence in Mr McCarthy, who delivered an impassioned closing speech, according to officials in the room.
In the hours-long, often heated meeting, according to sources, Mr McCarthy stood by both Ms Cheney and Ms Greene, and stressed the importance of presenting a united front.
In his defence of Ms Cheney, Mr McCarthy told legislators he wanted their leadership team to “stay together.” He reminded his colleagues that they elected him as their leader, and he asked them to let him lead by picking his team.
The challenge to Ms Greene will continue Thursday, however, when House Democrats will call a vote of the full chamber to strip her of her committee assignments. Mr McCarthy has called this a “partisan power grab”.
He also warned that if they indulged the effort to strip Ms Greene of her assignments, Democrats could try to target other Republicans, according to sources. – New York Times