House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) held nothing back after a reporter asked him why he removed Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the House Intelligence Committee but is allowing Rep. George Santos (R-NY) to serve on other committees.
The reporter asked McCarthy since he has said Schiff lying to the American public about various high-profile issues means he can't serve on the Intelligence Committee but Santos lying about his background means he can serve on committees.
McCarthy made it clear the Intelligence Committee is on a different level since they are regularly briefed about secret matters that even other members of Congress do not know about. McCarthy is allowing Schiff to be on other committees, just not Intelligence.
"Let me be very clear and respectful to you. You ask me a question when I answer it it's the answer to your question. You don't get to determine whether I answer a question or not, okay? In all respect...the Intel Committee is different, you know why? Because what happens in the Intel Committee, you don't know. What happens in the Intel Committee, of the secrets going on in the world, other members of Congress don't know," McCarthy said.
"What did Adam Schiff do as chairman of the Intel Committee? What Adam Schiff did was use his power as a chairman and lie to the American public, even the Inspector General said it. When Devin Nunes put out a memo, [Schiff] said it was false. When we had a laptop...and say it was false when [Schiff] knew different," McCarthy continued.
"So no, he does not have the right to sit on that...So yes, he can serve on a committee but he will not serve on Intel because it goes to the national security of America," he added.
McCarthy further stated the reason why Swalwell was removed from the Intelligence Committee was due to the briefing he had received from the FBI about Swalwell's years-long relationship with a Chinese spy.
.@SpeakerMcCarthy to reporter: Let me be very clear & respectful to you. You ask me a question when I answer it it's the answer to your question. You don't get to determine whether I answer a question or not, okay? In all respect...what happens in the Intel Cmte you don't know. pic.twitter.com/WD57QB7m1v
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 25, 2023
"Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and [Swalwell] 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," Schiff tweeted in response to being removed.
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