McCarthy Formally Kicks Schiff And Swalwell From House Intel: ‘Integrity Matters More’

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), officially disqualified two prominent Democrats from serving on the House Intelligence Committee.

McCarthy sent a Tuesday response to Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader (D–NY), which recommended that Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell be considered for the panel. access to the nation’s most sensitive secrets.

I have voted no to Eric Swalwell’s and Adam Schiffs appointments to the House Intelligence Committee.

I pledge to return the @HouseIntel The Committee must be one of authenticity and credibility, which regains trust from the American people. pic.twitter.com/ePxlbanxta

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 25, 2023

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 spoke.

“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,” McCarthy also added.

McCarthy and Jeffries released the letter shortly after. reportedly held a meeting.

McCarthy is the speaker and has the unilateral authority of removing 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 spoken out about the possibility of taking Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-MN, from the Foreign Affairs Committee. But that would need a House Floor vote.

The push to remove Democrats from their assigned committees is not supported by everyone in the Republican Conference. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-IN, who voted 15 times this month for the position of speaker “present” She released a statement at the time saying that she didn’t support what she saw. called a “charade.”

McCarthy accused Schiff, the chairman of this committee for four years of being a repeat ofliar in particular with respect to investigations into former President Donald Trump. Swalwell was raised by the speaker because of his close ties with an alleged Chinese spy.

“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,” Tuesday evening, Schiff tweeted.

Kevin McCarthy just kicked and kicked me. @RepSwalwell The Intelligence Committee.

This is political and petty payback for Donald Trump’s investigation.

He will soon realize how wrong he is, if he thinks that will stop me.

I will continue to defend our democracy.

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 25, 2023

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

Swalwell has existed for many years defended himself in the Chinese spy scandal by pointing to FBI officials telling the media He was cooperative in any investigation and was not suspected to be wrongdoing.

“This rejection is based on a claim that the Washington Post independent-fact checker gave 4 Pinocchios,” He tweeted 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.”

The rejection was based on the claim that the Washington Post independent fact-checker gave four Pinocchios. Ryan and Speaker Boehner both belong to the Gang of 8. They appointed me to Intel with access only 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

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

Jeffries was elected to replace Nancy Pelosi (D.CA) as the leader of House Democrats during this session of Congress. wrote to McCarthy Over the weekend, a number of people argued that Swalwell and Schiff were “eminently qualified” To continue serving on this panel.

He pointed out how bipartisan votes had led to Republican members being fired from their committee assignments over the past few years. He also mentioned “serial fraudster” Rep. George Santos (R-NY) In an effort to support his argument. Republicans gave the committee assignments to the freshman lawmaker who admitted to lying regarding aspects of his career, despite Santos facing numerous investigations and calls to resign.

“The apparent double standard risks undermining the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that is so desperately needed in Congress,” Jeffries said.

The House Intelligence Committee was long regarded to be an apolitical panel up until it became ground zero for partisan sniping during Trump’s presidency with investigations into the 2016 election, Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, and Ukraine. McCarthy stated that he would like to shift the focus from politics.

“It is my assessment that the misuses of this panel during the 116th and 117th Congresses undermined its primary national security and oversight missions — ultimately leaving our nation less safe,” McCarthy wrote his Tuesday letter. “Therefore, as we enter a new Congress, I am committed to returning the Intelligence Committee to one of genuine honesty and credibility that regains the trust of the American people.”

McCarthy has already made the announcement about which GOP members he intends to nominate. picked for the intelligence panel This session of this session of Congress. The chairman will be Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH). It was not immediately clear who among the Democrats would round out committee membership.

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