The latest on Congress as GOP tensions rise

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Melissa Mahtani, Fernando Alfonso III and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 12:04 AM ET, Fri February 5, 2021

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11:01 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

After Greene vote, Pelosi's office says GOP is on "slippery slope towards conspiracism and intolerance"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office criticized Republicans in a statement issued shortly after the House voted to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments.

“In the past 24 hours, House 'Republicans' made it abundantly clear where their allegiances lie: with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, conspiracy theorists and QAnon believers. From their standing ovation for Rep. Greene to their votes this afternoon against punishing her for spreading QAnon, 9-11, anti-Semitic and school shooting conspiracy theories,” the statement said.

What happened earlier tonight: The House voted to remove Greene from her committee assignments, a decisive step that comes in the wake of recently unearthed incendiary and violent past statements from the congresswoman that have triggered widespread backlash from Democrats and divided congressional Republicans.

The vote tally was 230-199 with 11 Republican House members voting with Democrats to remove Greene from her committee assignments.

Clarification: An earlier version of this post attributed the statement to Pelosi. Her office issued the statement.

7:48 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

Rep. Cheney defends vote to keep Greene on committee assignments

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who faced off with members of her own caucus last night over her vote to impeach former President Trump, defended her vote to keep Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on her committee posts.

In a statement, Cheney said it is the GOP's responsibility to address Greene's statements "inside our conference."

Read her full statement:

“Republicans are not the party of QAnon conspiracy theorists, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, or Neo-Nazis. These views are evil.
Representative Greene has espoused opinions that have no place in our public discourse. It is our responsibility as Republicans to address these issues inside our own conference.
Speaker Pelosi and the Democrat majority have no business determining which Republicans sit on committees. This vote today sets a dangerous precedent for this institution that Democrats may regret when Republicans regain the majority."

7:07 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

House votes to remove GOP Rep. Greene from committees

From CNN's Kristin Wilson and Manu Raju

The House voted today to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, from her committee posts.

Greene was removed by a vote of 230 to 199.

Eleven Republicans crossed party lines and voted to remove Greene from the committees.

These 11 GOP lawmakers voted with Democrats:

Adam Kinzinger
Nicole Malliotakis
John Katko
Fred Upton
Brian Fitzpatrick
Carlos Gimenez
Chris Jacobs
Young Kim
Maria Salazar
Chris Smith
Mario Díaz-Balart

Watch here:

7:03 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger votes yes on removing Greene from her committees

From CNN's Kristin Wilson

Several Republicans crossed party lines and voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, from her committee assignments.

So far Reps. Adam Kinzinger, Nicole Malliotakis, John Katko, Fred Upton and Brian Fitzpatrick voted yes to strip Greene of her committee posts.

The vote on the House floor is ongoing.

Watch here:

6:14 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

House voting on removing GOP Rep. Greene from committees

From CNN's Clare Foran, Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer, CNN

The House is voting right now on a measure to remove Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments, a decisive step that comes in the wake of recently unearthed incendiary and violent past statements from the congresswoman that have triggered widespread backlash from Democrats and divided congressional Republicans.

House Democrats, who control the chamber, set up the vote after first attempting to pressure Republicans to strip the Georgia Republican of committee assignments on their own. House Republicans have not taken that action, however, and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday released a statement calling the push by Democrats to take away the congresswoman's committee assignments a "partisan power grab."

Greene defended herself ahead of the vote in a speech on the House floor and attempted to distance herself from the dangerous and debunked QAnon conspiracy theory, which she has previously embraced.

Read more here.

7:25 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

Hoyer walks photo of Greene's AR-15 post across House floor

From CNN's Ryan Nobles and Kristin Wilson

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer walked a giant photograph of a post from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene across the House floor during his remarks today.

The post featured an AR-15 and pictures of members of the so-called “Squad.”

The post said “AR-15- the squad’s worst nightmare.”

“They are not the squad — they are Ilhan, they are Alexandria, they are Rashida. They are our colleagues,” Hoyer said, referring to House Democratic members Rep. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib.

Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated that Greene’s message was posted on Twitter. It was posted on Facebook.

Watch here:

5:10 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

McCarthy blames Democrats for pushing through a "dangerous new standard" with resolution against Greene

From CNN's Kristin Wilson

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is speaking on the House floor against the resolution to remove Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments, saying that while he condemns the comments made by Greene, he blames the Democrats for pushing through a “dangerous new standard.”

“This resolution sets a dangerous new standard that will only deepen divisions within this House. For all their talk about norms and institutions, it’s the democrats who’ve acted to undermine the people’s House at every turn,” he said. “Never before in the history of the House has the majority abused its power in this way.”

He said Greene’s comments “do not represent the values of my party as a Republican, as a conservative, as an American” and that he “condemns those views unequivocally”

“I made that clear when I met with Rep. Greene. I also made clear that we as members have a responsibility to hold ourselves to a higher standard. She acknowledged this during our conversation and apologized for past comments. I will hold her to her words and her actions moving forward.”

He’s now blaming Democrats for not punishing Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Eric Swalwell.

4:37 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

Trump's lawyers reject request for him to testify in impeachment trial

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Jim Acosta

President Donald Trump's attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen AP & Schoen Law Firm

Former President Trump will not testify at his impeachment trial, Trump adviser Jason Miller told CNN.

"The president will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding,” he said.

Miller has also tweeted a response from Trump’s lawyers to the request from Democratic impeachment managers that the former president testify.

“We are in receipt of your latest public relations stunt,” Trump’s attorneys write to Rep. Jamie Raskin.

“The use of our Constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games,” wrote Trump's attorneys, Bruce Castor and David Schoen.

Earlier today: The House impeachment managers requested Trump testify at his upcoming Senate impeachment trial, in a dramatic move to try to get the former president on the record about his conduct surrounding the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.

See his tweet:

2:40 p.m. ET, February 4, 2021

Sen. Graham calls request for Trump to testify, a "political, showboat move"

From CNN's Ali Zaslav

Sen. Lindsey Graham leaves the floor of the Senate on January 26. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters he doesn’t think former President Trump would come testify at the Senate impeachment trial next week.

“No, I hope not,” Graham said, “I don’t think that would be in anybody’s interest.”

He added: “It’s just a nightmare for the country to do this... it’s just a political, show boat move. They didn’t call him in the House.”

The South Carolina Republican also said he spoke to Trump a few days ago, and that he’s in “pretty good spirits... trying to get adjusted to his new life” and that he’s “very focused on 2022” to help the GOP retake the House and/or Senate.