- At least 50 RNC members support expelling Reps. Kinzinger and Cheney from the House GOP.
- The RNC could vote on a resolution supporting such a move at its winter meeting, CNN reports.
- Fellow Republicans are criticizing Cheney and Kinzinger for serving on the January 6 Committee.
Fifty Republican National Committee members have signed onto a resolution calling for Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming to be expelled from the House GOP Conference, CNN reports.
If the resolution passes through a committee, all 168 RNC members could vote on it later this week at the committee's winter meeting, which kicks off on Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah, CNN said.
One of the resolution's co-sponsors, Jonathan Barnett of Arkansas, told CNN that the resolution is intended to rebuke Kinzinger and Cheney's membership on the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot, an effort that he described as "an inquisition" and "one-sided."
"We don't understand Liz and Adam. There's just a lot of frustration with the January 6 committee and we don't think there's any representation on the Republican side. We'd like to see [House Minority Leader Kevin] McCarthy take care of these issues, but it's something we feel we need to talk about," he told CNN.
Kinzinger, who represents Central Illinois, announced in October that he would not seek reelection to Congress in 2022. Cheney, who was voted out of her House leadership position as chair of the Republican conference in May 2021, is facing a primary challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump in August.
The movement to kick Cheney and Kinzinger out of the Republican caucus altogether has gained steam among members of the House Republican caucus more aligned with Trump. Those members have been calling for McCarthy to expel Cheney and Kinzinger from the House GOP caucus since summer 2021.
In a statement to CNN, Cheney slammed "leaders of the Republican Party" who "have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy."
Kinzinger's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
