The 118th United States Congress has seen no shortage of news stories thus far, but the newest one has caused quite a controversy. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 20) has removed fellow Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA 30) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA 14) from the House Intelligence Committee. This move has enraged Democrats who view it as a partisan attack, with Adam Schiff himself taking to Twitter to vent his frustrations, “Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and (Eric Swalwell) off the intelligence committee. This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies wrote a letter to Speaker McCarthy urging him to keep Schiff and Swalwell on the House Intelligence Committee, but McCarthy stood firm, writing back to Jefferies, “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.” Supporters of McCarthy’s decision have pointed out that Schiff and Swalwell’s removal was far from unjustified, pointing out issues with Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell that raised concerns.
It is well known through Elon Musk’s “Twitter Files” that Adam Schiff repeatedly attempted to use his position on the house committee to silence his critics and doubters. An employee from Twitter outright responded to Rep. Schiff by saying, “No this isn’t feasible/we don’t do this.” according to The Hill. Some also point out Adam Schiff’s support and promotion of the infamous Steele Dossier, which aimed to prove former President Donald Trump had colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. The dossier itself has since been discredited and its creators were tried for lying to the FBI over it, according to NPR.
Eric Swalwell on the other hand was involved in a much more controversial issue, as he had relations with a Chinese spy back in 2014 that was known to target politicians, and she did help to place an intern in his office, according to Axios. McCarthy went on to say, “If you got the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldn’t have Swalwell on any committee.” Only time will tell how this move holds up in the public eye, but it appears the game of retaliation on both sides is only beginning.
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