Liz Cheney: Education, Career, and Political Stand

Liz Cheney, a prominent figure in American politics, has carved a notable path through her education, career, and unwavering political stance. From her early life and education to her congressional service and post-congressional activities, Cheney has consistently demonstrated a commitment to her principles, even when facing significant political backlash.

Early Life and Education

Elizabeth Lynne Cheney was born on July 28, 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Dick Cheney, who later served as the 46th Vice President of the United States, and Lynne Cheney (née Vincent). At the time of her birth, her parents were studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The family's connection to Wyoming began in 1977 when they moved to the state, where both parents had grown up. The following year, Dick Cheney was elected to serve as Wyoming’s congressman (1979-89), and the family returned to the D.C. area, settling in McLean, Virginia, while also continuing to spend time in Wyoming.

Cheney's early education included attending part of sixth and seventh grade in Casper, Wyoming, while her father campaigned for Congress. In 1984, she graduated from McLean High School in suburban Washington, D.C., where she was a cheerleader.

For her higher education, Cheney followed in her mother's footsteps, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Colorado College in 1988. Her senior thesis was titled "The Evolution of Presidential War Powers." She met her future husband, Philip Perry, during her time there. Continuing her academic pursuits, she received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996.

Early Career

Before attending law school, Cheney gained experience in the State Department for five years and with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) between 1989 and 1993. 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.

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 op-ed piece 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."

After two years, Cheney left her State Department post in 2003 to work for the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign. In February 2005, she returned to the 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.

Political Career

Early Involvement

Cheney's involvement in politics began early in her life, influenced by her father's career. She was active in her father’s campaigns for the 2000 and 2004 elections. From 2009 to 2013, she was the chairman of the non-profit organization Keep America Safe. She is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization Alliance for a Strong America.

Failed Senate Bid

In 2012, Cheney, Perry, and their five children moved to Wyoming. The next year, she announced that she was seeking the Republican nomination for one of Wyoming’s Senate seats in the 2014 election. Her challenge to a popular incumbent, Sen. Mike Enzi, was not well received, and she was called a carpetbagger, which she tried to refute by highlighting her family’s deep roots in the state. Notably, during her campaign she stated that she was not in favor of same-sex marriage, which sparked a public dispute with her sister, Mary Cheney-a lesbian-and Mary Cheney’s wife. (In September 2021 Liz Cheney reversed her stance on same-sex marriage and said she was wrong to have opposed it). Liz Cheney’s campaign came to an end in January 2014, when, citing serious health challenges in her family, she dropped out of the race.

Congresswoman from Wyoming

A year before the 2016 elections, the representative for Wyoming’s lone House seat announced that she would not be running for reelection, and in early 2016 Liz Cheney announced her campaign for the seat. She was successful, easily beating out several challengers in the Republican primary and then winning in the November general election. Cheney was sworn into the 115th Congress on January 3, 2017. She was reelected in 2018 and 2020.

During her time in Congress, Cheney served on the House Rules Committee, Natural Resources Committee, and Armed Services Committee. In 2018 she was elected chair of the House Republican Conference, effective 2019, making her the third-ranking Republican in the House. As representative for Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023, Cheney served as chair of the House Republican Conference from 2019 to 2021.

Key Votes and Positions in Congress

During her time in Congress, Cheney participated in numerous key votes and took stances on significant issues. Some notable examples include:

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020: The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives seeking to increase the cap on employment-based visas, establish certain rules governing such visas, and impose some additional requirements on employers hiring holders of such visas.
The Heroes Act: The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $1,200 payments to individuals, extending and expanding the moratorium on some evictions and foreclosures, outlining requirements and establishing finding for contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, providing emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies for fiscal year 2020, and eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments.
For the People Act of 2019: The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to protect election security, revise rules on campaign funding, introduce new provisions related to ethics, establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, and establish new rules on the release of tax returns for presidential and vice presidential candidates.
CARES Act: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments.
Equality Act: The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity by expanding the definition of establishments that fall under public accomodation and prohibiting the denial of access to a shared facility that is in agreement with an indiviual's gender indenitity.
Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019: The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House that sought to ban firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.
American Dream and Promise Act of 2019: The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to protect certain immigrants from removal proceedings and provide a path to permanent resident status by establishing streamlined procedures for permanant residency and canceling removal proceedings against certain qualifed individuals.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19.
Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019: The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 1994) was a bill passed by the House Representatives that sought to change the requirements for employer provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts by modfying the requirements for things such as loans, lifetime income options, required minimum distributions, the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill also sought to treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, increase penalties for failing to file tax returns, allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted, and expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs may be used. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.
Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act: The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to address the price of healthcare by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs, requiring drug manufactures to issue rebates for certain drugs covered under Medicare, requiring drug price transparency from drug manufacturers, expanding Medicare coverage, and providing funds for certain public health programs.
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020.
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019: The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (S. law. export controls and sanctions.
MORE Act of 2020: The MORE Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana by removing marijuana as a scheduled controlled substance and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.
Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020: The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 6, 2020, providing emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Key features of the bill include funding for vaccine research, small business loans, humanitarian assistance to affected foreign countries, emergency preparedness, and grants for public health agencies and organizations.
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 15, 2019, providing approrations for Fiscal Year 2019.
John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act: The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Doanld Trump on March 12, 2019. This bill sought to set provisions for federal land management and conservation by doing things such as conducting land exchanges and conveyances, establishing programs to respond to wildfires, and extending and reauthorizing wildlife conservation programs.
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021: The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals.
Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019: The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (S.24) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 16, 2019, that requires federal employees who were furloughed or compelled to work during a lapse in government funding to be compensated for that time. The bill also required those employees to be compensated as soon as the lapse in funding ends, irregardless of official pay date.
Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors: The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House.
Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes.
Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027.

Stance on Trump and the January 6th Attack

Cheney’s support of Trump changed drastically after the November 2020 election, which the president falsely claimed was rigged and that he had actually won, and after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, that occurred after President Trump gave a speech in which he encouraged a large crowd of his supporters to march to the Capitol and violently resist Congress’s certification of Joe Biden’s victory over him in the November 2020 presidential election.

Cheney was vocal in her criticism of Trump’s actions that day and of his false claims about the election. In the ensuing impeachment proceedings later that month, she voted in favor of the article of impeachment. Her vote to impeach and her continued outspoken criticism of Trump-she famously said that “there has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution”-put her at odds with the majority of her Republican colleagues. She successfully fended off calls for her to be removed from her position of Republican Conference chair in February, but in May she was stripped of the post.

In July 2021 Cheney was selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol; she was one of only two Republicans to serve on the committee. She was named vice chair of the committee in September. Her embrace of the committee’s work to investigate the January 6 attack, as well as her continued criticism of Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 election, led the Wyoming Republican Party to declare in November 2021 that it would no longer recognize her as a member of the party; it had previously censured her in February after she voted to impeach Trump.

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Cheney's role on the January 6th Committee was particularly significant. She was one of only two Republicans to serve on the committee and was named its vice chair in September. Her participation underscored her commitment to investigating the attack and holding those responsible accountable.

Primary Defeat

Cheney’s unrelenting repudiation of Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, her vote to impeach Trump, and her significant role in the January 6 attack investigation and hearings made her very unpopular with most of her Wyoming constituents, who overwhelmingly supported Trump. As such, she was expected to lose in the Republican primary election, held on August 16, 2022. She was soundly defeated by Harriet Hageman, a candidate who fully embraced Trump’s false election claims and had the support of the former president as well as the Republican Party leadership. As Cheney conceded the election that night, she condemned the election denialism movement in the Republican Party and reaffirmed her resolve to put country over party and to fight for the survival of America’s democracy. Her term in Congress ended in January 2023.

Post-Congressional Activities

Continued Opposition to Trump

Cheney remained a vocal opponent of Trump, especially after he entered the 2024 presidential race. She campaigned for the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Recognition and Awards

In 2025 Biden awarded Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal. The statement announcing her selection stated: Throughout two decades in public service, including as a congresswoman for Wyoming and vice chair of the committee on the Jan. 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice-and reached across the aisle-to defend our nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency. Her integrity and intrepidness remind us all what is possible if we work together.” On January 20, 2025, with just hours left in his presidency, Biden issued preemptive pardons to Cheney and others who were believed to be targets of Trump’s incoming administration; Trump had vowed “retribution” against those he perceived as his enemies. In a statement President Biden said, The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.

Writings

Cheney wrote three books with her father: her father’s autobiography, My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir (2011); Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America (2015); and Heart: An American Medical Odyssey (2013), which was also written with her father’s heart surgeon. In 2023 she published Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, her account of the January 6th attack, the events that led up to it, and the aftermath.

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