During a new television interview on MSNBC, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) tore into the ambition from House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who’s also the new House Speaker, to block him from serving on the House Intelligence Committee.
Because of the procedural composition of the intel panel, McCarthy evidently can block Schiff — and Eric Swalwell, another targeted Dem — from the committee of his own accord, though it appears the panel hasn’t yet gone through the formal process of formation for the current Congress. “The tragedy of this is not what he does to me personally,” Schiff said. “The tragedy is using the intelligence committee as his political plaything to placate Donald Trump, to placate Marjorie Taylor Greene, to exact revenge for my leading the impeachment against Trump in the first trial. This is a serious committee. We’ve got major challenges facing us, with Russia invading its neighbors, with China growing in strength around the world — threatening Taiwan, with Iran and its nuclear program… This is juvenile, but it has a serious consequence in terms of the functioning of one of the most important committees in Congress.”
Check out Schiff’s comments below:
Threats around the world are serious and growing. From Russia and China to the rise of authoritarianism.
But to Kevin McCarthy, the Intelligence Committee is just a political plaything.
His conduct is embarrassing, and worse, dangerous. The American people deserve better. pic.twitter.com/2UMslgmvBK
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 14, 2023
McCarthy has tied his animosity towards Schiff to the California Dem’s involvement in the Russia probe and the first impeachment of Donald Trump, which was over pressure imposed by him and his team on Ukrainian officials to conduct investigations that would be politically favorable to the then-president’s re-election effort. For Swalwell, McCarthy has expressed outrage over that Congressman’s connections years ago to an individual suspected of conducting espionage work for Chinese authorities. Once informed of the individual’s evident background by U.S. officials, available info shows Swalwell — who wasn’t the only figure targeted — cutting ties, and there is apparently zero evidence of any kind of information breach associated with the connection. Swalwell has publicly discussed threats to the safety of his family he has received in evident connection to the deception Republicans have spread. McCarthy has also previously spoken of keeping Ilhan Omar off the House foreign affairs panel, though that would require the chamber’s approval.
It’s clear @speakermccarthy is willing to trade my dead children — whose lives have been directly threatened because of his lies — for a few bucks. The FBI has repeatedly contradicted his lies but he persists in telling them out of political vengeance. https://t.co/v1yUGB0rVd
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) January 13, 2023
