House Republicans slammed the Democrats’ effort to nominate Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a transfer they mentioned would have created a “national security liability,” and a transfer that Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the long run rejected.
In a letter to McCarthy over the weekend, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries had requested that the 2 “eminently qualified legislators” be reappointed to the committee in spite of Swalwell’s affiliation with a Chinese secret agent and Schiff’s promotion of the Steele file.
“House Democrats are attempting to erode the important national security work of the Intelligence Committee,” House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., advised Fox News Digital Tuesday, prior to House Speaker McCarthy acted to stay Swallwell and Schiff off the panel.
“Eric Swalwell is a national security liability compromised by the Chinese Communist Party after he engaged in a years-long relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.
MCCARTHY VOWS TO REMOVE SWALWELL, SCHIFF, OMAR FROM HOUSE COMMITTEES
House Republicans say the appointment of Swalwell and Schiff to the Intelligence Committee will “erode” U.S. nationwide safety.
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Clearly, he has no place serving on the committee in charge of America’s top secrets, but House Democrats are shamefully looking the other way,” Stefanik added. “House Republicans put an end to Shifty Schiff’s regime over weaponizing this committee for his partisan purposes, and we will use this committee to strengthen our national security and provide critical oversight of our nation’s intelligence to restore Americans’ trust in these agencies.”
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who’s the chairman of the newly shaped House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, not too long ago famous that the House speaker has “enormous latitude” for creating a case to bar Swalwell and Schiff from the intelligence committee.
“House Democrats are attempting to erode the important national security work of the Intelligence Committee. Eric Swalwell is a national security liability compromised by the Chinese Communist Party after he engaged in a years-long relationship with a suspected Chinese spy,” House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., advised Fox News Digital.
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“When it comes to the Intelligence Committee, the speaker has enormous latitude,” Gallagher mentioned remaining week. “And I think you can make a credible case that, given Rep. Swalwell’s past relationship and given Rep. Schiff’s conduct on the committee, that it’s in the interest of the institution to have them not on the committee.”
McCarthy had vowed to take Swalwell and Schiff off the House Intelligence Committee, arguing Schiff “openly lied” about Russian election interference and that he had won a demanding briefing from the FBI on Swalwell.
The speaker made excellent on his vow Tuesday night time in a letter to Jeffries, pointing out that he used to be “rejecting” the appointments of Swalwell and Schiff to the Intelligence Committee.
“I appreciate the loyalty you have to your Democrat colleagues, and I acknowledge your efforts to have two Members of Congress reinstated to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” wrote McCarthy. “But 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.
“As such, to be able to handle a normal worthy of this committee’s obligations, I’m hereby rejecting the appointments of Representative Adam Schiff and Representative Eric Swalwell to serve at the Intelligence Committee,” he continued.
HERE’S HOW MCCARTHY CAN BLOCK SCHIFF, OMAR, SWALWELL FROM HOUSE COMMITTEES
“If you were given the briefing I were given from the FBI, you don’t have Swalwell on any committee,” McCarthy said this month during a press conference after one reporter questioned McCarthy’s commitment to allowing Democrats pick their own committee membership.
“And you are going to inform me different Democrats could not fill that slot? He can not get a safety clearance within the personal sector,” McCarthy said. “So do you want to offer him a central authority clearance?”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has publicly vowed to take away Swalwell and Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc by means of Getty Images)
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Swalwell answered Tuesday after McCarthy’s letter to Jeffries, calling it “rich” and “political vengeance.”
“Kevin McCarthy kicking Schiff and I off is just too rich because you know he’s going to put Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar and George Santos, who today admitted that he defrauded the Federal Elections Commission with all of his campaign finance. But he’s going to kick two of us off,” mentioned Swalwell.
Rep. Adam Schiff
(Screenshot/ABC/TheView)
Nancy Mace, R-S.C., additionally slammed Jefrries for not easy the Democrats take a seat at the Intel Committee whilst on Fox & Friends First Tuesday, pronouncing he’s “using power to abuse power.”
DEMOCRATIC HOUSE LEADER JEFFRIES DEMANDS MCCARTHY REAPPOINT SCHIFF, SWALWELL TO INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Brianna Herlihy contributed to this document.
