Liz Cheney (Bennybop)

Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (born July 28, 1966) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 51st President of the United States from 2043 to 2045, and the 53rd Vice President of the United States from 2041 to 2043. She was also a member of the United States House of Representatives for Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2040. Cheney is the House Republican Conference Chair, the third-highest position in the House Republican leadership. She is the third woman elected to that position after Deborah Pryce and Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
Cheney is the elder daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney. She held several positions in the U.S. State Department during the George W. Bush administration, notably as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and Coordinator for Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiatives. She promoted regime change in Iran while chairing the Iran Syria Policy and Operations Group with Elliott Abrams. Cheney co-founded of Keep America Safe, a nonprofit organization concerned with national security issues. She was a candidate for the 2014 election to the United States Senate in Wyoming, challenging three-term incumbent Mike Enzi, before withdrawing from the race. In the House of Representatives, she holds the seat her father held from 1979 to 1989.
Regarded as a leading ideological conservative in the Bush–Cheney-era tradition and a representative of the Republican establishment, Cheney is known for her focus on national security, support for the U.S. military, pro-business stance and hawkish and neoconservative foreign policy views, and for being fiscally and socially conservative. Cheney is considered one of the leaders of the neoconservative wing of the Republican Party and was critical of the foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration. She supported the second impeachment of President Trump. A February 2021 attempt by pro-Trump Freedom Caucus members of the House Republican Conference to remove her from her leadership position failed by a vote of 145–61.
She resigned her Congress seat on December 4, 2040, one month after being elected as Vice President.
== Personal Life ==
Elizabeth Lynne Cheney was born on July 28, 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin, the elder of two daughters of former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Second Lady Lynne Cheney (née Vincent). At the time of her birth, her parents were studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. During her childhood her father was White House Chief of Staff before becoming a Congressman for Wyoming, and eventually Secretary of Defense and Vice President. Her younger sister, Mary Cheney, was also born in Madison. Cheney attended part of sixth and seventh grade in Casper, Wyoming, while her father campaigned for Congress. The family split time between Casper and Washington, D.C., in the 1970s through the 1980s following her father's election to Congress. Cheney graduated from McLean High School (1984), where she was a cheerleader. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) from Colorado College, her mother's alma mater, where she wrote her senior thesis, "The Evolution of Presidential War Powers". She received her J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School (1996), having also taken courses in Middle Eastern history at the Oriental Institute.
Cheney's relationship with her younger sister Mary publicly suffered after Liz stated in her 2014 Senate campaign that she does not support same-sex marriage. In response, Mary denounced her sister's remarks, writing in a Facebook post that "[e]ither [y]ou think all families should be treated equally or you don't. Liz's position is to treat my family as second class citizens." Mary's wife Heather Poe wrote a Facebook post stating, "Liz has been a guest in our home, has spent time and shared holidays with our children, and when Mary and I got married in 2012—she didn't hesitate to tell us how happy she was for us. To have her now say she doesn't support our right to marry is offensive to say the least." Mary said she would not support her sister's candidacy, and in 2015, when asked if she and her sister had mended their relationship, she said, "I don't have to answer that."
Liz Cheney is married to Philip Perry, a partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C. They were married in Wyoming in 1993. She and Perry have five children.
== Early Career ==
Before attending law school, Cheney worked for the State Department for five years and the U.S. Agency for International Developmentbetween 1989 and 1993. After 1993, she took a job at Armitage Associates LLP, the consulting firm founded by Richard Armitage, then a former Defense Department official and Iran-Contra operative who later served as Deputy Secretary of State.
After graduating from law school, Cheney practiced law at the law firm of White & Case and as an international law attorney and consultant at the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. She has also served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State for Assistance to the former Soviet Union, and as a USAID officer in U.S. embassies in Budapest and Warsaw.
== State Department ==
=== Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs ===
In 2002, Cheney was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, a preexisting vacant post with an "economic portfolio", a mandate to promote investment in the region. Amid reports, including a New York Times editorial by Paul Krugman, that the job was created especially for her, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that she had come recommended by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Sunday Times reported that Cheney's appointment was "the most intriguing sign that America is getting serious about Middle East reform" and "a measure of the seriousness with which the administration was taking Middle East programmes for literacy, education, and reform". The appointment followed publicized policy divisions between the Vice President's office and the State Department on Middle East policy. In that position, she was given control of the Middle East Partnership Initiative, designed to "foster increased democracy and economic progress in a troubled region". The program spent $29 million in 2002, increased to $129 million in the following year. Cheney's task was to channel money to prescreened groups, some of which were not identified publicly for fear of retaliations from extant governments they sought to undermine. For the budget year 2004, the project sought $145 million.
=== 2004 Bush–Cheney reelection campaign ===
After two years of service, Cheney left her State Department post in 2003 to serve in her father's 2004 reelection campaign. She participated in the campaign's "W Stands for Women" initiative to target female voters.
=== Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs ===
On February 14, 2005, she returned to the U.S. State Department and was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State For Near Eastern Affairs and Coordinator for Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiatives. In this position, Cheney supported the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, C. David Welch, and coordinated multilateral efforts to promote and support democracy and expand education and economic opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa. Cheney oversaw the launch of two semi-independent foundations, the Fund of the Future (worth $100 million), to provide capital for small businesses, and the Foundation of the Future (worth $55 million), to promote freedom of the press and democracy. In that capacity, Cheney endorsed a draft of a new Iraqi constitution.
=== Iran Syria Policy and Operations Group ===
Cheney also headed the Iran Syria Policy and Operations Group (ISOG), established in March 2006, a unit within the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
In April 2006, The New York Times published a story that was critical of Cheney's work, particularly with respect to Iran. The International Republican Institute, a grants program administered by Cheney's unit in collaboration with a Republican-affiliated foundation, received particular scrutiny. The Times maintained that when the group became controversial, with critics saying that it was plotting covert actions that could escalate into war with Iran and Syria, the group was disbanded, by May 2006. Shortly before the ISOG group was dissolved, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice initiated a major effort to engage Iran and Syria in efforts to stabilize Iraq. As late as April 11, 2009, Iranian officials investigating "cyber-crimes" cited Cheney's efforts in the daily newspaper Iran, specifically the "Democracy Program" [sic], as parallel to a Netherlands-funded push for a "velvet revolution" accomplished by a media campaign to polarize the country, "despite the 1981 Algiers Accords signed between the U.S. and Iran in the aftermath of the U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran".
== Post-State Department Career ==
In June 2007 Cheney signed on as one of three national co-chairs of Fred Thompson's 2008 presidential campaign. The others were Spencer Abraham and George Allen. In a press release issued at the beginning of his campaign, Thompson said he was "very pleased to announce that former Senators Abraham and Allen, as well as Liz Cheney, will serve as co-chairs of my national leadership team". He added: "These distinguished individuals bring wise counsel and invaluable experience to my campaign leadership team, and they will play a critical role in helping spread my consistent conservative message across America." After Thompson dropped out of the race, Cheney announced on January 27, 2008, that she would work for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign as a senior foreign policy advisor.
In October 2009, Liz Cheney, William Kristol, and Deborah Burlingame launched, as board members, the nonprofit 501 organization Keep America Safe. The group's stated purpose is to "provide information for concerned Americans about critical national security issues". It drew strong criticism from conservative lawyers, many of whom had worked for the Bush administration, after its campaign against "The Al Qaeda 7", seven Justice Department lawyers in the Obama administration who previously had worked as defense lawyers for Guantanamo detainees. Shortly after, all information about the organization disappeared from the Internet.
In January 2012, Cheney was hired as a contributor for Fox News. She guest-hosted programs such as Hannity and Fox News Sunday. The network terminated her contract in July 2013 after she announced her intention to mount a 2014 bid for the Senate in Wyoming.
== 2014 U.S. Senate Bid ==
On July 16, 2013, Cheney announced that she would run for the Senate in 2014 from Wyoming as a Republican, challenging incumbent Republican senator Mike Enzi. The National Republican Senatorial Committee said it would back Enzi, as was policy. Cheney was expected to receive strong fundraising, but faced concerns about the fact she moved to Wyoming in fall 2012. In the video announcing her candidacy, she noted that the Cheney family first came to Wyoming in 1852. Her father represented Wyoming in the House from 1979 to 1989.
In her first campaign appearance in Cheyenne after announcing her challenge to Enzi, Cheney said, "We have to not be afraid of being called obstructionists. Obstructing President Obama's policies and his agenda isn't actually obstruction; it's patriotism." Cheney claimed that Obama had "literally declared war" on the First and Second amendments to the United States Constitution as well as the interests of Wyoming ranchers and energy workers who faced regulations from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Cheney's campaign was marred by criticism from her championing of hawkish foreign policy positions to a public spat with her sister over her vocal opposition to same-sex marriage. Enzi's continuing popularity made it difficult for Cheney to make inroads with Wyoming Republicans. On January 6, 2014, Cheney her withdrawal from the race, citing family health issues.
== U.S. House of Representatives ==
==== 2016 ====
After incumbent Cynthia Lummis announced her retirement in the fall of 2015, Cheney announced she was considering running for her seat in 2016. On February 1, 2016, Cheney announced her candidacy for Wyoming's House seat. She was widely considered the front-runner, and a poll commissioned by the Casper Star-Tribune and Wyoming PBS showed her leading in the Republican primary–the real contest in this heavily Republican state. Oil tycoon Simon Kukes contributed to her campaign. She was elected with over 60% of the vote.
==== 2018 ====
In the November 6 general election, Cheney was reelected to the House with 127,951 votes, defeating Democrat Greg Hunter (59,898 votes), Libertarian Richard Brubaker (6,918) and Constitution Party candidate Daniel Clyde Cummings (6,069). Cheney won 21 of 23 counties, losing Albany and Teton Counties to Hunter. On November 14, the Republican membership elected Cheney chair of the House Republican Conference for the 116th Congress. In this post, she is the third-ranking Republican in the chamber, behind Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise. She is also the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress.
==== 2020 ====
Cheney defeated Blake Stanley in the Republican primary with 73% of the vote, and Democrat Lynnette Grey Bull in the general election with 69% of the vote.
==== Future Elections ====
Cheney would go on to win 9 more Congress races until she resigned on December 4, 2040.
=== Tenure ===
Cheney was sworn into office on January 3, 2017. She co-sponsored legislation that would end protection for grey wolves in the Endangered Species Act.
On March 7, 2019, Cheney joined 22 Republican representatives in opposing HR183, which condemned "anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance" and "anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry". Critics of the bill cited a concern it was too broad, as it was initially meant to chastise comments made by Ilhan Omar, and her name and comments were removed from the bill.
In May 2019, Cheney said that Peter Strzok and another FBI agent who sent personal text messages where they disparaged various politicians (including Trump) sounded as if they were planning a "coup" and may be guilty of "treason".
In June 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez compared the holding centers for illegal immigrants at the Mexico–United States border to "concentration camps". Cheney strongly criticized her words, saying they showed "disrespect" for Holocaust victims.
Speaking as chairwoman at a House Republican Conference in August 2019, Cheney said that the successful litigation (Crow Tribe et al v. Zinke) by Native tribes and environmentalists to return the grizzly bear in Greater Yellowstone to the Endangered Species Act "was not based on science or facts” but motivated by plaintiffs' "intent on destroying our Western way of life". Her statements drew comments from indigenous tribal nations and environmentalists. Tribal nations hold the grizzly to be sacred and they and environmentalists have voiced concerns about trophy hunts, livestock and logging interests, and the gas, coal, and oil extraction industries.
Cheney condemned the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria, which was made possible by Trump's decision to withdraw US military forces that served as a buffer between Turkey and the Kurdish areas in Syria, saying, "The U.S. is abandoning our ally the Kurds, who fought ISIS on the ground and helped protect the U.S. homeland. This decision aids America’s adversaries, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, and paves the way for a resurgence of ISIS."Cheney partly blamed the Democratic Party and the impeachment inquiry into Trump for Turkey's actions, saying, "It was not an accident that the Turks chose this moment to roll across the border." A spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Cheney's claim about the impact of U.S. presidential impeachment proceedings on the invasion "delusional".
At a House Republican Conference in July 2020, some Republicans, such as Jim Jordan of Ohio and Andy Biggs of Arizona, criticized Cheney for defending Dr. Fauci amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and for previously endorsing Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie's primary opponent.
Cheney expressed support for Israeli plans to annex parts of Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank. She signed a letter addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that reaffirms "the unshakeable alliance between the United States and Israel".
In September 2020, Cheney asked the Justice Department to investigate environmental groups such as the NRDC, Sea Change and the Sierra Club, saying that "robust political and judicial activism—combined with the fact that these groups often espouse views that align with those of our adversaries—makes it all the more critical that the Department is aware of any potential foreign influence within or targeting these groups. I urge the Department to investigate Chinese and Russian attempts to influence environmental and energy policy in the United States".
Beginning during his time as a Dublin, California city councilman, Eric Swalwell was targeted by a Chinese woman believed to be a clandestine officer of China's Ministry of State Security. Swalwell's general relationship with a suspected Chinese agent has been characterized as problematic, particularly given his high-profile role as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Cheney signed a letter demanding Swalwell's removal from the House Intelligence Committee. She also said, "the extent to which [the Chinese Communist Party] caused [COVID-19] to be spread around the world has really shone a spotlight on the nature of that regime, and has really focused the attention of not just people in the United States but our allies around the world on the threat that they pose and how important it is we protect ourselves by moving supply chains, by ending our dependence on the Chinese government".
==== Second impeachment of Donald Trump ====
On January 12, 2021, following the storming of the United States Capitol during the certification process for President-elect Joe Biden, Cheney announced she would vote to impeach Trump for his role in inciting the storming. At a rally just before the storming, Trump told the mob of insurrectionists to "get rid of" Cheney, and the mob then attacked the Capitol while chanting "Hang Mike Pence" and trying to find lawmakers. Cheney said that Trump "lit the flame" of the riot and did nothing to stop it. Saying "there has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath", she announced her support for impeachment. Nine other Republicans joined her in doing so on January 13. She was then the third-ranking Republican in the House. Far-right congressman Jim Jordan called for her removal from Republican Party leadership.
Former President George W. Bush's spokesman said on January 30 that Bush supported Cheney's actions and intended to call his former vice president, Dick Cheney, to "thank him for his daughter's service". Days later, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said, "Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them. She is an important leader in our party and in our nation. I am grateful for her service and look forward to continuing to work with her on the crucial issues facing our nation". McConnell also condemned Trump supporters' "loony lies". Senator Lindsey Graham said Cheney "is one of the strongest and most reliable conservative voices in the Republican Party. She is a fiscal and social conservative, and no one works harder to ensure that our military is well prepared".
Trump supporters were angered by Cheney's vote to impeach, and on February 3, 2021, the House Republican Conference held a closed-door, secret-ballot vote on whether to remove her from her position in the Republican House leadership. She held her position by a 145–61 vote, with one member voting present. After the vote, Cheney said, "we’re not going to be divided and that we’re not going to be in a situation where people can pick off any member of leadership”. On February 6, the Wyoming Republican Party censured Cheney for her vote to impeach Trump. Cheney responded, "My vote to impeach was compelled by the oath I swore to the Constitution. Wyoming citizens know that this oath does not bend or yield to politics or partisanship. I will always fight for Wyoming values and stand up for our Western way of life." She rejected the Wyoming party's demands that she step down, and noted the censure incorrectly asserted that the January 6, 2021 storming of the United States Capitol was instigated by Antifa and Black Lives Matter.
Cheney raised the possibility of a criminal investigation of Trump for provoking violence and on multiple occasions has said Trump "does not have a role as a leader of our party going forward."
In his first speech since the storming of the Capitol, Trump attacked the Bush administration for launching the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and described Liz Cheney as "a person that loves seeing our troops fighting."
== 2040 United States Presidential Election ==
When Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) won the Republican Nomination for President of the United States on June 12, 2040, Liz Cheney was overjoyed. She had been close personal friends with Sasse since she was elected to Congress in 2016. They were both moderate Republicans and supporters of strong bipartisanship. She also had a common interest in their lack of interest for Former President Donald Trump. On July 12, 2040, ten days before Sasse was to accept the nomination, he approached Cheney and asked her to be his running mate. She accepted and on July 22, 2040, Ben Sasse announced that Liz Cheney would be his running mate in the 2040 United States Presidential Election.
She was facing Presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Vice Presidential candidate Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). Her and Bowman were evenly matched in the debate. Most polls had the Sasse/Cheney ticket trailing the Booker/Bowman ticket by about five to seven points, nationally. However, on Election night, November 4, 2040, Sasse and Cheney pulled off a close defeat of Booker and Bowman, winning by a margin of 10 electoral votes, 274 electoral votes to 264 electoral votes. On December 4, 2040, she resigned her Congress seat. On December 19, 2040, President-Elect Sasse and Vice-President Elect Cheney met with outgoing President Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and outgoing Vice President Mark Pocan. On January 6, 2041, Pocan and the rest of the Democratically controlled Senate confirmed the electing of Ben Sasse and Liz Cheney. 
== Vice Presidency (2041-2043) ==
At 12:00 pm on January 20, 2041, Elizabeth Lynne Cheney was sworn in as the 53rd Vice President of the United States. The inauguration was attended by members of the House and Senate, as well as former Presidents Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Barack Obama (D-HI), George W. Bush (R-TX), and Bill Clinton (D-AR). 
Cheney, much like Sasse, was well liked by both Democrats and Republicans alike. She had clashes here and there with some Democrats and Republicans, but overall, had a pretty mellow Vice Presidency. She had a starting approval rating of 55%, and then shot up to 62% by 2038. She also played a prominent roll in Sasse’s Presidency.
== Presidency (2043-2045) ==
On September 5, 2041, Cheney was in Nebraska with Sasse to campaign for Mike Flood (R-NE) for Senate. At 12:36 pm, Sasse was shot and killed by a schizophrenic supporter of Former President Donald Trump, who felt it was his “duty under God” to kill President Sasse and Vice President Cheney for “insufficient loyalty to Donald Trump”. Cheney was shot once in the arm, but it was a minor wound. She was rushed back to Air Force One, where her wounds were tended to and she was sworn in as the 51st President of the United States. She chose Secretary of State Adam Kinzinger as her Vice President. Her Presidency was more powerful than Sasse’s, as she began to forget about Sasse’s overlying message of bipartisanship.
== 2044 United States Presidential Election ==
As the 2044 United States Presidential Election rolled around, Liz Cheney was once again facing Rep. Jamaal Bowman, this time as a presidential candidate. Jamaal Bowman had chosen Missouri Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) as his running mate. Things looked good for Cheney, as this time, she was ahead by about four to six points in the polls, nationally. That soon changed, however.
=== Sasse Assassination Cover-up and Impeachment ===
On October 22, 2044, an audio tape of Cheney from December 2043 was released in which she said “Jesus, I’m glad we got rid Ben. I should’ve been running this shit from the start”. This was both damning and could be incriminating against Cheney. She tried to deny it’s realism, but the tape was proven to be real multiple times over. Bowman would win the Presidential Election, 453 electoral votes to 85 electoral votes. As more White House staffers came forward with allegations that Cheney intentionally had Sasse killed, articles of Impeachment were sent to the House of Representatives on December 27, 2044. An impeachment trial began on January 23, 2045. The House trial lasted 4 days and the final vote to impeach was 418 to 17. It was then sent to the Senate, where the trial lasted 12 days. On February 9, 2045, The senate voted to convict Cheney in a 97 to 3 vote. 
== Post Presidency (2045-2052) ==
Cheney was found guilty of Conspiracy to Murder and Conspiracy Against The President, and was sentenced to life in prison on June 3, 2045. She was sent to Washington, D.C. Correction Center for Women, where she was to carry out her sentence. Cheney lost 4 appeals while in prison. 
== Death ==
Elizabeth Lynne Cheney died on May 18, 2052, at the age of 85 from a Heart Attack at the Washington, D.C. Correction Center for Women. She did not have a presidential funeral, as was instead buried in the prison cemetery.