Cheney to fundraise for House GOP

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is stepping back into the spotlight to fundraise for House Republicans next month. 

Cheney will headline the National Republican Congressional Committee’s March Dinner on March 24 in Washington, D.C., the committee announced Wednesday. 

{mosads}In a statement, NRCC Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) praised former President George W. Bush’s No. 2 as “a dedicated public servant” and “true patriot.”

“The Vice President has worked tirelessly to protect our freedom and improve the lives of all Americans during his time, both in the House of Representatives and the White House,” Walden said. 

“We are grateful for all of his hard work and all he continues to do for both our country and party,” Walden added. 

The committee had reportedly initially asked former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) to headline the fundraiser. 

Past keynote speakers at the dinner include former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. 

Cheney has kept a relatively low profile in recent years, but emerged in December to defend the CIA’s enhanced interrogation methods during the Bush administration after Democrats on the Senate Intelligence panel released a report highlighting brutal tactics employed by the agency.

He also briefly stepped back into the political fray in 2013, when his daughter Liz was exploring a primary challenge to Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). She eventually dropped that bid, though. 

Still, Cheney fundraising for House Republicans indicates how much the GOP thinks the Bush brand has been rehabilitated. The unpopularity of the administration contributed to the GOP’s loss of the House in 2006 and continued into 2008.