Kevin McCarthy said he would boot several Dems from committees as speaker
The top Republican in the House of Representatives has vowed to keep several Democratic lawmakers off of congressional committees if he is elevated to speaker by his caucus.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” the bans would apply to Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
“One thing I said from the very beginning, Eric Swalwell cannot get a security clearance in the public sector,” McCarthy, 57, told host Maria Bartiromo, referencing the Bay Area representative’s alleged relationship with a Chinese spy.
“Why would we ever give him a security clearance in the secrets to America? So I will not allow him to be on Intel,” he said, a year after the GOP leader called on Democrats to remove Swalwell from the powerful House Intelligence Committee.
The congressman then took aim at Schiff, saying the Jan. 6 select House committee member “had lied to the American public time and again.”
“We will not allow him to be on the Intel Committee either,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy also said he would follow through on promises to remove pro-Palestine progressive firebrand Omar from her leadership position.
“And you — look, Congresswoman Omar, her anti-Semitic comments that have gone forward. We’re not going to allow her to be on Foreign Affairs,” he said.
The comments followed the Republicans narrowly regaining the majority in the lower chamber during the midterm elections.
McCarthy is widely expected to be elected to replace retiring 82-year-old House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Schiff fired back at McCarthy on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday, claiming his fellow California representative’s predicted reign over the House would be “chaos.”
“He will adhere to the wishes of the lowest common denominator,” Schiff said. “And if that lowest common denominator wants to remove people from committees…that’s what they’ll do.”
McCarthy has also reportedly promised Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that she would be reinstated on the House budget and education committees after the conspiracy theorist was rebuked by Democrats last year.
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