Monday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) confirmed that he and the Republicans plan to strip numerous key House Democrats of their committee assignments as the GOP takes control of the House.
According to the Associated Press’ Farnoush Amiri, McCarthy said Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) will be stripped of their assignments.
McCARTHY confirms Swalwell, Schiff & Omar will be off committees they’d previously served: intel/foreign affairs.
“Swalwell can’t get a security clearance in the private sector. I’m not going to give him a government security clearance. Schiff has lied to the American public…”
— Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) January 10, 2023
If McCarthy follows up on his promise, Omar will lose her powerful position on the Foreign Affairs Committee while Schiff and Swalwell will be booted from the influential House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).
Multiple House Democrats have decried McCarthy’s plans, and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) responded by saying that the Democrat caucus will still put forward its nominees, including Schiff, regardless of the Speaker’s plans.
“They will be put forward. What the Speaker does beyond that is something that the leadership team and the Steering Policy Committee will have to handle,” Aguilar said.
Adam Schiff, just days ago, took a public stab at McCarthy on Twitter, saying, “Looks like Kevin McCarthy conceded all the power of his office to the crazies to finally get their votes.”
“He had to give away the house to do it, and that was a sacrifice he was willing to make — for the title. He will be a speaker in name only,” Schiff wrote.
Looks like Kevin McCarthy conceded all the power of his office to the crazies to finally get their votes.
He had to give away the house to do it, and that was a sacrifice he was willing to make — for the title.
He will be a speaker in name only.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 7, 2023
Now, Schiff is apparently on track to lose his coveted – and powerful – post on the House Permanent Select Committee.
Far-left Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) also sounded off on the GOP plan, reportedly saying, “We urge that he doesn’t go down these stupid, dark paths and work with Democrats.”
McCarthy vowed to remove Swalwell and Schiff from their committee assignments in a Fox News interview last November, shortly after Republicans won control of the House.
“Eric Swalwell cannot get a security clearance in the public sector. Why would we ever give him a security clearance in the secrets to America? So, I will not allow him to be on Intel,” McCarthy said in the interview.
“You have Adam Schiff, who had lied to the American public time and again. We will not allow him to be on the Intel Committee either.”
