Adam Schiff Responds After Getting Booted From Committee

(VitalNews.org) – On January 21, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote a letter to the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The New York legislator asked the Speaker to allow California Representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell — both Democrats — to remain on the Intelligence Committee. Three days later, McCarthy responded, denying the request. The House Speaker noted both legislators lacked the “integrity” required for that particular committee assignment.

On January 25, Schiff and Swalwell appeared in front of a group of reporters to respond to the news. The men accused McCarthy of “bow[ing]” to right-wing extremists, stating the move to block them from the Intel committee was an act of “vengeance.” Schiff also called the Speaker “petty” on Twitter, stating the action was in response to his investigation into the former president. In the Tweet, he vowed to “always defend [the US’s] Democracy.”

During his engagement with reporters, Schiff said McCarthy looked weak, and his decision to remove him and his colleague would ultimately harm the intelligence community — and thereby, the US.

Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and @RepSwalwell off the Intelligence Committee.

This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.

If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is.

I will always defend our democracy.

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 25, 2023

After the House speaker finalized his choice regarding the Democratic reps, he stopped to speak with reporters. During that exchange, he revealed his reasoning for blocking the seasoned congressmen from the Intelligence Committee.

He claimed Schiff lied to the American people, and that Swalwell had a questionable relationship with a Chinese spy. McCarthy said members of the Intelligence Committee have access to information unknown to anyone else in Congress or the public, so he needed to make sure each member was worthy of the post. In his opinion, neither congressman fit the bill. However, McCarthy made it clear that, unlike the Democrats who were in charge before him, he would not keep the pair off committees entirely.

Schiff and Swalwell didn’t believe McCarthy’s reasoning. Instead, the latter remarked that the House speaker was misusing his position to eliminate his “political opponents.”