With assists from Melanie and Kyle. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wis.), the No. 3 House Republican, and four other GOP members opened the door for Republicans Tuesday night after they joined Democrats' push to impeach President Donald Trump. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is not only telling associates he believes Trump committed impeachable offenses, but he is also signaling that he might cast his vote to convict Trump as well. The Senate could punish Trump by barring him from running for public office ever again. CHENEY'S CHOICE: On the eve of the impeachment vote in the House, Cheney became the highest ranking Republican to support removing Trump from office. Sources had told Melanie days before the announcement that Cheney was privately telling colleagues that she wanted to be on the right side of history, and later framed it as a "vote of conscience" during a GOP conference call on Monday night. Four other Republicans — Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), John Katko (N.Y.), Fred Upton (Mich.) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.) — are also backing impeachment. The latest from Heather, Kyle, Sarah, and Marianne: http://politi.co/3oHD74u WHAT THIS MEANS: It's is YUUUGE move -- earthquake triggers a tidal wave huge. We expect more of the GOP will follow Cheney down the impeachment road. Her support gives wary Republicans teetering on the decision some major political cover. BIG PICTURE: The chasm not only caps off what has been a years-long tussle between party leaders over how closely the GOP should align itself with Trump while in office, but also the debate over which direction the Republican party will go after he leaves office. In other words, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Cheney are hedging very different bets about whether the party should still be wed to Trump moving forward. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT: Cheney's split with McCarthy marks the most dramatic rift in the upper rungs of GOP leadership since Trump took office. This decision is only going to fuel speculation as to whether Cheney — who passed on a Senate bid to seek her fortunes in the House — will one day try to take on McCarthy. McCarthy , who has closely tied the House GOP to Trump, has been responding to Wednesday's attack behind the scenes. He is choosing to be less publicly critical of Trump and he is not in favor of impeachment, but the California Republican is open to censuring Trump, according to an aide familiar with his thinking, a decision he arrived at after the temperature of his conference kept rising in the days after the assault on the Capitol. Watch: McCarthy is sure to face questions about whether he can lead his party back to the majority after he stood by Trump's efforts to overturn the election. Cheney's response, meanwhile, could be a defining moment in her career. BUT, BUT, BUT: While Cheney's impeachment stance may be earning her plaudits by some in the conference, it could actually hurt her if the GOP doesn't fully exorcise Trump from its party; the president still maintains fierce support among the conservative grassroots. Case in point: House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of the ringleaders of the election challenges, called on Cheney to resign from her leadership post. GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) followed suit shortly thereafter, arguing that she is "weakening our conference" for political gain. That said ... some sources your Huddle host spoke to aren't totally sold on this criticism, noting that there are far bigger issues than Cheney's vote, like the attack where multiple people died on Wednesday. More from Melanie and yours truly: http://politi.co/3nISf05 CODE? Included in Cheney's impeachment statement was this cryptic line: "Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough." *Your Huddle host is just wondering out loud… yes, again: What are the odds Cheney gets a primary challenger for this decision?* THESE TIMES: And here's the NYT report that stunned the Beltway yesterday … Jonathan Martin and Maggie Haberman first reported that McConnell is not only considering impeachment, but he is also happy about Democrats' efforts to impeach Trump because he believes that will make it "easier to purge him from the party." http://nyti.ms/39GZJvZ Related NYT read: Group pledges up to $50 million to defend Republicans who support impeaching Trump: http://nyti.ms/38Gs3io SURE ABOUT CENSURE: Some Republicans, rather than jumping on the I-train, are calling to censure the president, arguing that it will be less divisive and rushed at a time when the country needs to heal. GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and six other House Republicans introduced a concurrent resolution Tuesday to censure Trump "for attempting to unlawfully overturn the 2020 Presidential election and for violating his oath of office on January 6th, 2021." They argued that a censure resolution is the "only way to send a bipartisan , bicameral message without delay to the country and the world that the United States is a nation of laws," and that an impeachment trial would hinder the President-elect Joe Biden from being able to govern effectively. You can read the resolution here: http://bit.ly/3qjMrw3 IMPEACHMENT TEAM: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tapped nine Democrats to serve as her impeachment managers, which includes lead manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.) as well as Reps. Diana DeGette (Colo.), David Cicilline (R.I.), Joaquin Castro (Texas), Eric Swalwell (Calif.), Ted Lieu (Calif.), Stacey Plaskett (N.Y.), Madeleine Dean (Pa.), Joe Neguse (Colo.). There is no crossover from the last impeachment team. And notably, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), whose arguments during the last impeachment process earned him applause, is not on the list. He is, after all, the GOP's punching bag and his involvement could've steered some Republicans away from joining the impeachment effort. TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH: House Minority Whip Steve Scalise , who experienced firsthand violence after a politically motivated gunman wounded him on a baseball field in 2017, is calling for both sides to turn down the temperature on their rhetoric in a WSJ Op-Ed, saying it "helps radicalize people." Read it here: http://on.wsj.com/2LLRNkq Related Fallout Reads: Who Dies for Donald Trump? A Look into the Life of Ashli Babbitt by Miranda Green in the NY Magazine: http://nym.ag/2MVxB09 | Fury, gloom and determination: Bay Area lawmakers process trauma as they press impeachment by San Francisco Chronicle's Tal Kopan: http://bit.ly/3bAHZVs The good news is...In Historic 1st, U.S. Capitol Police Name Yogananda Pittman As Acting Chief by NPR's Brakkton Booker: http://n.pr/3qhYZUK GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Jan. 13, where your Huddle host is happy to report that some things in the Capitol never change. TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Our own Quint Forgey's story on Biden saying he is 'not afraid' to take oath of office outside was the big winner. | 
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