Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announced on Monday night that Representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from California, would be removed from the House Intelligence Committee and that a vote would soon be held to have Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar ousted from the Foreign Affairs Committee.
McCarthy had previously said in February that if he was elected Speaker of the House, his intention was to strip Omar of her committee membership and remove Swalwell and Schiff from their positions on the Intelligence Committee. On Monday, he confirmed this decision to The Associated Press, adding that both Swalwell and Schiff should not retain seats on the committee.
There were many reasons given by McCarthy for why he chose to move forward with these decisions, including Swalwell's reported relationship with a Chinese spy and Schiff's defense of the Steele dossier. He also noted that Omar's anti-Semitism was an additional factor in his choice to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In a statement to The Associated Press, McCarthy said: "Swalwell can't even get a security clearance in the private sector; I'm not going to give him a government security clearance. And Schiff has lied to the American public about so many topics." He went on to express confidence in his decision due to what he saw as misappropriations of power by all three representatives.
Overall, it is clear that McCarthy has made up his mind regarding these representatives' removal from their committees and will continue pursuing this course of action despite any possible backlash or criticism that may arise as a result. It remains uncertain whether or not other members will join in his efforts or disagree with him completely when it comes time for them to vote on removing Omar from her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Either way, it is clear that McCarthy views these individuals as threats due to their records and will do whatever is necessary to ensure they are not granted access or authority over crucial national decisions involving foreign policy or intelligence matters.
The removal of these three Representatives was welcomed by Congressman Troy Nehls who tweeted his praise of McCarthy's decision: "Promises made. Promises kept!"
Speaker McCarthy confirms that Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar are getting kicked off the Intel and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Promises made. Promises kept!
— Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) January 10, 2023
In a conversation with Sebastian Gorka, Rep. Nehls stressed upon the importance of the Freedom Caucus in pushing back on any legislation that does not benefit American citizens, stating that it was responsible for delaying Rep. McCarthy's speakership appointment until certain new House rules were agreed upon that would help Americans over anything else, in light of what Nehls claims is an ongoing crisis created by Biden over recent years.
New Congress, Same Old GOP?@RepTroyNehls joins The Gorka Reality Check pic.twitter.com/kDOu2dXL6E
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) January 9, 2023