Liz Cheney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liz Cheney
Official portrait, 2018
Vice Chair of the House January 6 Committee
In office September 2, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Chair of the House Republican Conference
In office January 3, 2019 – May 12, 2021
Leader	Kevin McCarthy
Vice Chair	Mark Walker Mike Johnson
Preceded by	Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Succeeded by	Elise Stefanik
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming's at-large district
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Cynthia Lummis
Succeeded by	Harriet Hageman
Personal details
Born	Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (1966-07-28) July 28, 1966 (age 59) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Philip Perry ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	5
Parents	Dick Cheney Lynne Vincent
Relatives	Mary Cheney (sister)
Alma mater	Colorado College (BA) University of Chicago (JD)
Awards	Presidential Citizens Medal (2025)
Signature

Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (born July 28, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician. She was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Wyoming from 2017 to 2023. For part of that time, she was the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House.

Cheney is the older daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Second Lady Lynne Cheney. She is known for her strong criticism of former President Donald Trump. After leaving Congress, she became a professor at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

During the George W. Bush administration, Cheney worked at the U.S. State Department, where she focused on Middle East policy. In 2016, she was elected to the same seat in Congress that her father once held.

As a congresswoman, Cheney was known for her conservative views. She supported a strong military and pro-business policies. She often voted in line with President Trump's agenda. However, she became one of his most outspoken critics after the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Because she voted to impeach President Trump and criticized him, she was removed from her Republican leadership role in the House. She was later appointed Vice Chair of the special committee that investigated the January 6 attack. Her work on the committee led to her losing the Republican primary election in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Elizabeth Lynne Cheney was born on July 28, 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin. Her parents are former Vice President Dick Cheney and Second Lady Lynne Cheney. She has a younger sister, Mary Cheney.

When she was young, her family moved between Wyoming and Washington, D.C. while her father served in Congress. She graduated from McLean High School in Virginia in 1984.

Cheney earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Colorado College in 1988. In 1996, she received a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Early Career in Government

Before law school, Cheney worked for the U.S. State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). After getting her law degree, she worked for a law firm and the International Finance Corporation, which is part of the World Bank Group.

In 2002, during the George W. Bush administration, Cheney was appointed to a position in the State Department focused on the Middle East. She was in charge of the Middle East Partnership Initiative, a program created to support democracy and education in the region.

She left the State Department in 2003 to work on the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign. In 2005, she returned to the State Department as a high-ranking official working on Middle East and North Africa policies. She also led a group that focused on policy related to Iran and Syria.

Cheney at the 2005 presidential inauguration

Work After the State Department

After leaving the State Department, Cheney worked on the presidential campaigns of Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney as a foreign policy advisor. In 2009, she co-founded a nonprofit group called Keep America Safe, which focused on national security issues.

In 2012, Cheney became a contributor for Fox News, where she sometimes hosted shows like Hannity. She left the network in 2013 to run for the U.S. Senate.

On July 16, 2013, Cheney announced she would run for a U.S. Senate seat in Wyoming. She challenged the sitting senator, Mike Enzi, in the Republican primary. However, she withdrew from the race in January 2014, citing family health issues.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In 2016, Cheney ran for Wyoming's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the current congresswoman retired. She won the Republican primary and then the general election. She was reelected in 2018 and 2020 by large margins.

In 2022, Cheney faced a tough primary election. Her opponent, Harriet Hageman, was supported by former President Trump. Cheney lost the election, receiving 28.9% of the vote compared to Hageman's 66.3%. Her loss was one of the largest for a sitting member of Congress in recent history.

Time in Congress

Cheney took office on January 3, 2017. For the first few years, she voted in support of President Trump's policies about 93% of the time. She was considered a strong conservative voice in the Republican party.

She was known for her "hawkish" foreign policy views, meaning she believed in a strong military and being actively involved in world affairs. For example, she criticized President Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. She believed it would hurt America's allies, the Kurds, and help its enemies.

In 2019, Cheney was elected Chair of the House Republican Conference, making her the third-ranking Republican in the House.

A Stand on Principle

Cheney's relationship with her party changed after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump for his role in the event.

In a statement, she said:

The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack... There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.

Her vote angered many Republicans. While some leaders like Senator Mitch McConnell defended her, others called for her to be removed from her leadership position. In May 2021, House Republicans voted to remove her as Conference Chair.

The January 6th Committee

In July 2021, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Cheney to a special committee to investigate the January 6 attack. Cheney served as the Vice Chair of the committee. She played a very public role in the committee's hearings.

She told her Republican colleagues who defended the events of that day, "There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain."

For her work on the committee, President Joe Biden awarded Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal in January 2025. He also gave her and other committee members a pardon to protect them from any future legal action related to their investigation.

Political Views

Cheney is a conservative Republican. She supports lower taxes, a smaller government, and a strong national defense.

Opposition to Donald Trump

After losing her election in 2022, Cheney said she would continue to fight to restore the Republican Party. She started a political action committee called "The Great Task" to oppose Donald Trump's influence.

She endorsed several Democrats in the 2022 elections who were running against Republican candidates that questioned the 2020 election results. In 2024, she announced she would vote for Kamala Harris for president to prevent Donald Trump from returning to office.

Foreign Policy

Cheney is known for her belief that the U.S. should be a strong leader in the world. She supported the war in Iraq and opposed withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. She is also a strong supporter of Israel.

Same-Sex Marriage

In 2013, Cheney stated that she was against same-sex marriage. This caused a public disagreement with her sister, Mary, who is gay. However, in 2021, Cheney said she regretted her earlier position. In 2022, she was one of 47 Republicans who voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects same-sex marriage in federal law.

Personal Life

Cheney is married to Philip Perry, a lawyer. They have five children. In 2012, the family moved to Wyoming.

Electoral history

Works

• Cheney, Dick; Cheney, Liz (2015). Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America. Threshold Editions. ISBN 978-1-5011-1541-7. OCLC 930795359.
• Cheney, Liz (2023). Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-57206-4. OCLC 1407332898.
• Cheney, Liz; Thompson, Bennie (2022). The January 6th Report: Findings from the Select Committee to Investigate the Attack on the U.S. Capitol with an introduction by committee chairman, Bennie G. Thompson and vice-chair, Liz Cheney. Celadon Books. ISBN 978-1-250-87752-6. OCLC 1356936195.

See also

In Spanish: Liz Cheney para niños