The Minority Leader for the House Democrats Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is taking the fight to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (D-CA). The New York politician submitted the names of Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) for seats on the House Intelligence Committee. The Democrat Minority Leader also offered Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to sit on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. By doing so, Jeffries has thrown down the gauntlet.
Jeffries wrote a letter to McCarthy calling Schiff and Swalwell “eminently qualified” to serve where they have been already been seated. The new speaker claimed that he would unseat all three of them. The minority leader wrote:
‘Together, these Members have over two decades of distinguished leadership providing oversight of our nation’s Intelligence Community, in addition to their prosecutorial work in law enforcement prior to serving in Congress.’
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has not operated as the other House committees. The speaker is able to assign the committee members. In other words, McCarthy can refuse Jeffries’ request. If the speaker does not let them remain in place, the full House must vote them into the committee.
McCarthy spoke to the press members while he was in the Capitol:
‘What I am doing with the Intel Committee [is] bringing it back to the jurisdiction it’s supposed to do. Forward-looking to keep this country safe, keep the politics out of it.So yes, I’m doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.’
Schiff served as the Chair of the Intelligence Committee until the Republicans took back the House. The California representative’s sin was leading the investigation into the former White House president’s possible links to Russia. Republicans linked Swalwell to a suspected Chinese spy.
Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) were pulled from their committees after the two expressed potential violent acts against Democratic legislators:
‘This action was taken by both Democrats and Republicans given the seriousness of the conduct involved, particularly in the aftermath of a violent insurrection and attack on the Capitol. It does not serve as precedent or justification for the removal of Representatives Schiff and Swalwell, given that they have never exhibited violent thoughts or behavior.’
Speaker Jeffries also addressed McCarthy and the Republicans’ two recent committee assignments to Representative George Sants (R-NY). The New York Republican has been under investigation for irregular campaign finance lies. Jeffries called him a “serial fraudster:”
‘The apparent double standard risks undermining the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that is so desperately needed in Congress.
Interestingly enough, Fact-checkers discovered that the GOP claims were contrived, according to The Washington Post. In his letter to McCarthy, Jeffries pointed out that Paul Gosar and Marjorie were legitimately removed from their committee assignments. Unlike these three Democrats, McCarthy wanted to boot from their committee assignments.
The Republicans’ thirst for revenge runs deep.
Gloria Christie is a political journalist for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Find her here on Facebook. Or at Three White Lions, her book written in her own unique style with a twist of humor on Amazon Kindle Vella and the Gloria Christie Three White Lions podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in progress).
