House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, has formally given the boot to two high-profile and highly controversial Democrats from being able to continue serving on the House Intelligence Committee. Who are these two individuals? Try Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both also hailing from California.
On Tuesday, McCarthy posted up a response letter that was addressed to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, who recommended that Schiff and Swalwell be placed on the panel that would make them privy to some of the country’s most sensitive secrets. Which seems like a bad idea, seeing as how Swalwell fooled around sexually with a Chinese spy named Fang Fang and Schiff has lied through his teeth so many times it’s fair to say you can’t believe a word coming out of his mouth.
I have rejected the appointments of Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell for the House Intelligence Committee.
I am committed to returning the @HouseIntel Committee to one of genuine honesty and credibility that regains the trust of the American people. pic.twitter.com/ePxlbanxta
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 25, 2023
“I cannot put partisan loyalty ahead of national security, and I cannot simply recognize years of service as the sole criteria for membership on this essential committee. Integrity matters more,” McCarthy said, according to the Daily Wire.
“As such, in order to maintain a standard worthy of this committee’s responsibilities, I am hereby rejecting the appointments of Representative Adam Schiff and Representative Eric Swalwell to serve on the Intelligence Committee,” the Speaker continued.
The letter was put out publicly not long after both McCarthy and Jeffries held a meeting. Speaking with reporters, McCarthy confirmed that both Schiff and Swalwell would be eligible to serve on other committees.
.@SpeakerMcCarthy to reporter: Let me be very clear & respectful to you. You ask me a question when I answer it it's the answer to your question. You don't get to determine whether I answer a question or not, okay? In all respect…what happens in the Intel Cmte you don't know. pic.twitter.com/WD57QB7m1v
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 25, 2023
“As speaker, McCarthy has the unilateral authority to block members from the House Intelligence Committee. Even before he took on the role, McCarthy vowed to bump Schiff and Swalwell from the perches they’ve held for years. McCarthy has also talked about removing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but that would take a House floor vote to accomplish,” the Daily Wire reported.
“Not everyone in the Republican conference is on board with the push to yank Democrats from their committee assignments. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), who over the course of 15 ballots for speaker this month voted ‘present’ some of the time, released a statement saying she did not support what she called a ‘charade,'” the report continued.
McCarthy has leveled accusations at Schiff, who served as the chairman for the committee for a total of four years, of being a habitual liar, especially when it comes to the investigations that were launched into former President Donald Trump. The Speaker has brought up national security concerns with Swalwell due to his very intimate ties with an alleged Chinese spy years ago.
“This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump. If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is. I will always defend our democracy,” Schiff stated in a tweet posted on Tuesday evening.
Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and @RepSwalwell off the Intelligence Committee.
This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.
If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is.
I will always defend our democracy.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 25, 2023
“This rejection is based on a claim that the Washington Post independent-fact checker gave 4 Pinocchios,” Swalwell said in response to the rejection on Tuesday. “Speaker [John] Boehner and [Paul] Ryan, both Gang of 8 members, appointed me to Intel with access to the same facts McCarthy is distorting. He can keep me off Intel, but I’m not going away.”
I’m not sure making an appeal to former Speaker John Boehner is really going to have the positive impact Swalwell seems to be going for here.
This rejection is based on a claim that the Washington Post independent-fact checker gave 4 Pinocchios. Speaker Boehner and Ryan, both Gang of 8 members, appointed me to Intel with access to the same facts McCarthy is distorting. He can keep me off Intel, but I’m not going away. https://t.co/YQZOVCSJpO
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) January 25, 2023
McCarthy has already revealed which members of the Republican Party he is choosing for the intelligence panel during this session of Congress. The chairman will be Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio.
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