在共和党全国委员会之后，共和党议员在什么可能成为共和党的决定性问题上存在分歧通过了谴责决议上周，包括语言批评者在内的人表示，1月6日的袭击是“合法的政治言论”——国会中的共和党高层周二反驳了RNC。

该决议谴责了调查1月6日袭击事件的众议院委员会成员、怀俄明州共和党众议员利兹·切尼(Liz Cheney)和伊利诺伊州众议员亚当·金辛格(Adam Kinzinger)，称现任议员“参与了民主党领导的对从事合法政治言论的普通公民的迫害”，这一说法此后遭到抨击，切尼在社交媒体上与国会大厦的暴力画面并列。

在国会山每周一次的领导人新闻发布会上，当被问及RNC的举动时，参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)没有直接使用“合法政治话语”的语言，而是给出了他对1月6日的描述，并暗示RNC挑出现任成员是不合适的。

“好吧，让我告诉他我对1月6日发生的事情的看法。我们都在这里。我们看到发生了什么。这是一场暴力起义，目的是在合法认证的选举后，阻止权力从一届政府和平转移到下一届政府。事情就是这样，”麦康奈尔说。

“关于RNC应该挑选应该得到支持的共和党人的建议，传统上，国家党委员会的观点是，我们支持我们党的所有成员，无论他们的立场如何，以及一些问题，”他补充说。

当被问及是否对RNC主席罗纳·麦克丹尼尔有信心时，麦康奈尔说，“我有，但问题是，RNC是否应该挑出我们党内可能与大多数人观点不同的成员。这不是RNC的工作。”

在去年12月接受Spectrum News采访时，麦康奈尔表示，尽管去年阻止了一个独立的两党委员会的成立，但他个人对众议院委员会的工作感兴趣，并表示，“我认为他们寻求发现的是公众需要知道的事情。”

美国广播公司新闻(ABC News)国会记者雷切尔·斯科特(Rachel Scott)询问众议院少数党领袖凯文·麦卡锡，在上周回避了记者关于这个话题的提问后，他是否认为1月6日有“合法的政治对话”。

“每个人都知道有——有人闯进来了，”麦卡锡周二回答道。

麦卡锡的办公室后来打电话澄清，他的意思是“任何闯入的人不是“从事合法的政治话语。

当被问及是否支持对切尼和金辛格的指责时，麦卡锡说，“我想我已经回答了这个问题——亚当没有竞选连任是有原因的，”这显然是指早些时候对o an的采访。

纽约州众议院第三号共和党人埃利斯·斯特凡尼克(Elise Stefanik)周二告诉记者，“RNC完全有权采取任何行动，我的立场是，你最终要对选民负责。”

当被问及她是否认为1月6日的暴力是“合法的政治言论”时，斯特凡尼克谴责了暴力，但继续将1月6日的暴力等同于“2020年的暴力”——似乎指的是乔治·弗洛伊德被谋杀后发生的全国抗议。

但是，尽管众议院共和党人和特朗普的亲密盟友为该决议辩护，但参议院共和党领导层的几名成员试图与该决议保持距离，一些人驳斥了“合法政治话语”的描述。

麦康奈尔的重要盟友得克萨斯州参议员约翰·科宁星期一对记者说，决议中的措辞不恰当。

“我只是我认为准确真的很重要，尤其是当你谈论如此敏感的事情时，我只是认为这不是一个准确的描述，”科宁说。

佛罗里达州参议员里克·斯科特(Rick Scott)周一晚上也在山上与麦康奈尔举行领导人会议，他的反应似乎是，RNC的行动与他和参议院共和党完全不同。

“我是说这是他们想说的。我很清楚我所相信的是什么，”斯科特说，他谴责1月6日的骚乱者是“可耻的和非美国的。”

但佛罗里达州的另一名参议员马尔科·卢比奥同意RNC和前总统唐纳德·特朗普的观点，在哥伦比亚广播公司周日的《面对国家》节目中谴责1月6日的委员会是“一个党派骗局”

其他参议员摇摆不定，采取了明确的立场。

俄亥俄州参议员罗布·波特曼上个月宣布他不会竞选参议员连任，他周一告诉记者，“每个人都有和平抗议的权利，但他们没有暴力的权利。当然，那天有不暴力的抗议，但也有可怕的暴力和犯罪部分。”

当被问及RNC的决议和具体措辞是否合适时，他说，“我没有读过他们说的话，但我认为称暴力和犯罪活动是不合适的。”

共和党参议员约翰·图恩(John Thune)今年竞选连任，经常是前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)的目标，他多次被问及是否支持这项谴责决议，但他表示反对，称重点应该是“向前，而不是向后。”

共和党参议员雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托(Shelley Moore Capito)附和了这种观点，但语气更为批评，他说，“除了指责两名国会议员之外，我们还有很多问题需要关注，因为他们有不同的观点。”

自上周五以来，RNC一直受到强烈质疑，称其谴责切尼和金辛格的决议中包含了“合法政治言论”一词。

周五，当被要求详细描述这一描述时，这位RNC官员表示，该党谈论的是“与国会大厦暴力事件无关的合法政治言论。”

“利兹·切尼和亚当·金辛格越界了，”麦克丹尼尔在一份声明中说。“他们选择和南希·佩洛西一起参与民主党领导的对普通公民的迫害，这些公民从事与国会大厦暴力事件无关的合法政治言论。这就是为什么共和党全国委员会成员和我本人压倒性地支持这项决议。”

麦克丹尼尔的声明显然试图澄清该决议的“合法政治话语”语言，并补充道，“这与国会大厦的暴力无关”，尽管周五通过的决议中没有出现这种额外的措辞。

参议院和众议院民主党人公开表示反对RNC的决定。

众议院民主党党团主席哈基姆·杰弗里斯在周二的新闻发布会上告诉记者:“罗纳·麦克丹尼尔应该为自己感到羞耻。“更糟糕的是，我们在国会大厦的共和党同事拒绝谴责它，因为他们也是邪教的一部分。”

与此同时，得克萨斯州共和党众议员迈克·麦考尔(Mike McCaul)周日在美国广播公司“本周”节目上受到联合主持人玛莎·拉德达茨(Martha Raddatz)的压力时，试图避开这个问题，谴责1月6日的暴力事件，但不愿谴责该决议。

“我的理解是(声明)与我那天看到的合法抗议者有关，”麦考尔说。

阿拉斯加州的共和党众议员唐·杨(Don Young)投票反对特朗普的两项弹劾，他在周末发表声明称，1月6日发生的事情“是犯罪行为，不符合美国精神，不能被视为合法抗议。”

去年投票弹劾特朗普“煽动叛乱”的七名参议院共和党人人中，少数人也是最先谴责RNC语言的人。

“2021年1月6日发生的事情是试图推翻合法选举，导致国会大厦发生暴力和破坏。我们不能让那些导致生命损失的行为合法化，我们必须从那次可怕的事件中吸取教训，这样历史就不会重演，”阿拉斯加州参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基在推特上说。

在她之前，犹他州参议员米特·罗姆尼周五上午写道，他的侄女麦克丹尼尔目前担任该党主席，该党感到“羞耻”。

“耻辱落在一个会谴责有良知的人的政党身上，这些人在尖酸刻薄面前寻求真理。罗姆尼在推特上写道:“利兹·切尼和亚当·金辛格因寻求真理而获得荣誉，即使这样做会付出巨大的个人代价。”。

和参议员比尔·卡西迪。，对此也明显感到震惊，在推特上写道，“RNC指责利兹·切尼和亚当·金辛格，因为他们试图找出1月6日发生了什么，嗯?”

J.斯科特·阿普尔怀特/美联社文件

众议员利兹·切尼和众议员亚当·金辛格出席众议院特别委员会会议..

谴责切尼和金辛格的举动标志着RNC国民第一次正式谴责一名由国会议员支持的现任国会议员。

在RNC投票的前一天，金辛格在推特上写道，“对我坚持宣誓就职和捍卫宪法的决定没有任何遗憾。

金辛格没有竞选连任，但表示他的政治生涯还没有结束，他在一份声明中说，共和党领导层允许“阴谋和有毒的部落主义”蒙蔽“他们看得清楚的能力”。

“早在唐纳德·特朗普进入这个领域之前，我就已经是共和党的一员了，”金辛格在周四晚上的一份声明中说。“我的共和党同胞们没有把精力集中在如何帮助美国人民上，而是选择谴责他们党内的两名终身成员，因为他们只是坚持自己的就职誓言。”

切尼还在一份声明中谈到了她作为“宪法保守派”的身份，并表示，“我不承认我的党内那些放弃宪法拥抱唐纳德·特朗普的人。”

McConnell rebukes RNC for breaking tradition as GOP divided over censure resolution

Republican lawmakers are divided on what could become a defining issue for the GOP after the Republican National Committeepassed a censure resolutionlast week including language critics said suggested the Jan. 6 attack was "legitimate political discourse" -- with the top Republican in Congress rebuking the RNC Tuesday.

The resolution, censuring GOP Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois -- members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack -- said the incumbent lawmakers were "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" -- a phrase that has since come under fire and Cheney juxtaposed on social media with images of violence at the Capitol.

Asked about the RNC move at a weekly leadership press conference on Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not address the "legitimate political discourse" language used directly, but offered his characterization of Jan. 6 and suggested the RNC was out of line to single out sitting members.

"Well, let me give him my view of what happened January the 6th. We all were here. We saw what happened. It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent a peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next. That's what it was," McConnell said.

"With regard to this suggestion that the RNC should be in the business of picking and choosing Republicans who ought to be supported, traditionally, the view of the national party committee is that we support all members of our party, regardless of their positions, and some issues," he added.

Asked if had confidence in RNC Chairperson Ronna McDaniel, McConnell said, "I do -- but the issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority. That's not the job of the RNC."

In an interview with Spectrum News in December, McConnell signaled his personal interest in the House committee's work, despite blocking the formation of an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the attack last year, and said, "I think that what they're seeking to find out is something the public needs to know."

ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has struggled to maintain GOP infighting on his quest to become House speaker, whether he thought there was was "legitimate political discourse" on Jan. 6 after he dodged reporters questions on the topic last week.

"Everybody knows there was -- anyone who broke inside," McCarthy replied Tuesday.

McCarthy's office called later to clarify that he meant that "anybody who broke insidewas not" engaged in legitimate political discourse.

Asked also if he was supportive of the censure of Cheney and Kinzinger, McCarthy said, "I think I've already answered that question -- there's a reason why Adam is not running for reelection," in an apparent reference to an earlier interview with OAN.

The No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. -- who replaced Cheney as a member of leadership after an internal revolt last year -- told reporters Tuesday, "The RNC has every right to take any action and the position that I have is you're ultimately held accountable to voters."

Asked also if she believes the violence on Jan. 6 was "legitimate political discourse," Stefanik condemned the violence but proceeded to equate the violence of Jan. 6 to the "violence of 2020" -- seemingly a reference to the national protests that took place following George Floyd's murder.

undefinedMORE: Paths ahead grow messier for GOP: The Note

But while House Republicans and close allies of Trump have defended the resolution, several members of Senate Republican leadership sought to distance themselves from it, with a number refuting the "legitimate political discourse" description.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas -- a key ally of McConnell -- told reporters Monday that the language in the resolution wasn't appropriate.

"I just I think being accurate is really important, particularly when you are talking about something that sensitive, and I just think it was not an accurate description," Cornyn said.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also on the Hill Monday for an evening leadership meeting with McConnell, reacted as if the RNC's action is wholly apart from him and the Senate GOP.

"I mean it's what they want to say. I'm clear what I believe has been," said Scott, who has condemned rioters on Jan. 6 as "disgraceful and un-American."

But Florida's other senator, Sen. Marco Rubio, fell in line with messaging of the RNC and former President Donald Trump, condemning the Jan. 6 committee, instead, on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday as "a partisan scam."

Other senators have wiggled around taking a clear stance.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who announced last month he is not running for reelection to the Senate, told reporters Monday, "Everybody has the right to peacefully protest, but they don't have the right to be violent. Of course, there was protest that day that was not violent, but there was also a terrible violent and criminal part of it."

Pressed on whether the RNC resolution and specific language was appropriate, he said, "I haven't read what they said, but I don't think it's appropriate to call violent and criminal activity."

Senate GOP Whip John Thune, R-S.D., up for reelection this year and often a target of former President Donald Trump -- was pressed repeatedly on whether he supports the censure resolution, but demurred, saying the focus, instead, should "be forward, not backward."

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., echoed the sentiment but in a more critical tone, saying, "We've got a lot of issues that we should be focusing on besides censuring two members of Congress because they have a different opinion."

The RNC has come under intense questioning since Friday about the inclusion of the "legitimate political discourse" phrase in its censure resolution to Cheney and Kinzinger.

Asked Friday to elaborate on the description, the RNC official said the party is talking about "legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol."

"Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed a line," McDaniel said in a statement. "They chose to join Nancy Pelosi in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol. That's why Republican National Committee members and myself overwhelmingly support this resolution."

McDaniel's statement notably attempted to clarify the resolution's "legitimate political discourse" language, adding the words, "that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol," though that additional phrasing did not appear in the resolution that was passed Friday.

Senate and House Democrats have come out swinging against the RNC's decision.

"Ronna McDaniel should be ashamed of herself," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. "What makes it worse is that our Republican colleagues here in the Capitol refuse to denounce it because they are a part of the cult, as well."

Republican Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas, meanwhile, sought to pivot away from the issue on ABC "This Week" when pressed by co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday, condemning the violence of Jan. 6 but unwilling to denounce the resolution.

"My understanding is [the statement] pertains to the legitimate protesters that I saw that day," McCaul said.

Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who voted against both of Trump's impeachments, weighed in over the weekend to say that what transpired on Jan. 6 "was criminal, un-American, and cannot be considered legitimate protest."

A handful of the seven Senate Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for "incitement of insurrection" last year were also among the first to condemn the RNC language.

"What happened on January 6, 2021 was an effort to overturn a lawful election resulting in violence and destruction at the Capitol. We must not legitimize those actions which resulted in loss of life and we must learn from that horrible event so history does not repeat itself," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, tweeted.

Hers followed Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, writing Friday morning that "shame" falls on the party, that his niece, McDaniel, currently presides over.

"Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost," Romney tweeted.

And Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., also reacted with apparent shock, tweeting, "The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th - HUH?"

The move to censure Cheney and Kinzinger marks the first time the national RNC has had a formal censure for an incumbent member of Congress backed by its members.

The day before the RNC vote, Kinzinger tweeted has "no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution.

Kinzinger, who is not running for reelection but has said his political career is not over, said in a statement that GOP leadership had allowed "conspiracies and toxic tribalism" to cloud "their ability to see clear-eyed."

"I've been a member of the Republican Party long before Donald Trump entered the field," Kinzinger said in a statement Thursday night. "Rather than focus their efforts on how to help the American people, my fellow Republicans have chosen to censure two lifelong Members of their party for simply upholding their oaths of office."

Cheney also spoke to her identity as a "constitutional conservative" in a statement and said, "I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump."