After several conservative House Republicans aligned with Trump criticized Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney -- the No. 3 in GOP leadership -- after she announced she would support impeachment Tuesday evening, Cheney fired back to their calls to step down through reporters on Capitol Hill.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said Wednesday afternoon. "This is a vote of conscience. It's one where there are different views in our conference. But our nation is facing an unprecedented, since the Civil War, constitutional crisis. That's what we need to be focused on. That's where our efforts and attention need to be."

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Mariam Khan

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivered a speech on the House floor against impeaching Trump, arguing that a vote to impeach would "fan the flames of partisan division" and that instead the president could bear responsibility through a censure resolution.

McCarthy began by condemning last week's attack on the Capitol as "undemocratic, un-American and criminal," and although there to defend him, quickly broke from the president in making the distinction that antifa was not to blame for the violence, as Trump has privately suggested.

"Some say the riots were caused by antifa. There is absolutely no evidence of that. And conservatives should be the first to say so," McCarthy said, calling on his colleagues.

"I believe impeaching the president in such a short timeframe would be a mistake," McCarthy said, notably not directly defending his actions as unimpeachable but taking issue with the timing.

"A vote to impeach will further divide the nation. A vote to impeach will further fan the flames of partisan division," he said. "That doesn't mean the president is free from fault."

McCarthy suggested that "a fact-finding commission and a censure resolution would be prudent" but "unfortunately, that is not where we are today." He stressed it's a time "to unite once again as Americans."

House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler in his floor remarks said the rioters who stormed the Capitol will be brought to justice. Amid accusations from some members of Congress that other members may have abetted rioters, he said accomplices on the floor will also be held accountable.

"We will bring the rioters to justice. Their accomplices in this house will be held responsible," Nadler said. "But today we must focus on the gravest threat first: President Trump."

Rep Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who was the lead impeachment manager for Trump's last impeachment proceedings said America has endured a Civil War, world wars, the Great Depression and now "a Trumpist and white nationalist insurrection," but the nation will prevail because of those Americans patriotic enough restore it.

"This is one of those moments," Schiff said. "Enough."

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., argued that while Republicans are calling for unity and healing, it was the president who refused to recognize Biden's win, leading to a violent transition of power.

"This president's refusal to participate in the peaceful transfer of power and his role in the incitement of last week's violence poses an existential threat. This threat must be extinguished immediately," Clyburn said.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., co-sponsor of the impeachment article, warned of future threats to lawmakers if the president isn't held accountable, stressing, "Every one of us in this room right now could have died."

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, one of the president's staunchest supporters, began the House debate for Republicans by opposing impeaching Trump and railing against Democrats for what he called their attempt to "cancel the president."

"We should be focused on bringing the nation together. Instead Democrats are going to impeach the president for a second time, one week, one week before he leaves office. Why? Why? Politics and the fact that they want to cancel the president," he said.

"Impeachment round two. It's always been about getting the president, no matter what. It's an obsession. An obsession that's now broadened. It's not just about impeachment anymore. It's about canceling," he added.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told the chamber, "I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive and gratuitous act than to impeach an already defeated president a week before he is to leave office."

"President-elect Biden's promise to heal the nation becomes a hollow mockery in the harsh reality of this unconstitutional act," he said.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have deflected when asked questions about impeachment, saying the decision is with Congress.

Late Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar refuted several media reports that he was resigning early, but did share his resignation letter -- effective Jan. 20 at noon -- on Twitter.

While Azar wrote on Twitter that it was his "duty to help ensure a smooth transition to President-elect Biden’s team during the pandemic" through Inauguration Day, he did criticize President Donald Trump and called on him to more strongly condemn the violence at the Capitol last week.

"Unfortunately, the actions and rhetoric following the election, especially during this past week, threaten to tarnish these and other historic legacies of this Administration," Azar wrote in the resignation letter. "The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power that the United States of America first brought to the world. I implore you to continue to condemn unequivocally any form of violence, to demand that no one attempt to disrupt the inaugural activities in Washington or elsewhere, and to continue to support unreservedly the peaceful and orderly transition of power on January 20, 2021."

Azar clarified he handed in the letter, dated Jan. 12, last week "along with every other political appointee."

The two-page letter, in which he calls serving as HHS secretary "the greatest professional privilege and honor of my life," details the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Azar paints an entirely rosy picture, referring to it as a "remarkable response," despite skyrocketing deaths and case rates across most of the nation.

"While we mourn every lost life, our early, aggressive, and comprehensive efforts saved hundreds of thousands or even millions of American lives," he wrote, echoing a refrain from the president. There have been over 391,000 deaths in the U.S., nearly twice the number of the second-highest country (208,000 in Brazil).

He also highlighted the agency's efforts to combat the opioid crisis, electronic cigarettes and the HIV epidemic, and made special mention of "protect[ing] the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death."

Azar has served as HHS secretary since January 2018. President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Xavier Becerra, California's attorney general, to serve as his HHS chief.

ABC News' Ben Siu contributed to this report.