We already know this session of Congress will be contentious. The GOP has a slim majority, the Democratic caucus remains insane with their agenda items, and with little expectation regarding getting anything done, shenanigans abound. The first salvos in this war will be over committee assignments. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is being assigned to two committees, though he’s already a one-and-done congressman for grossly embellishing his resume. Still, the fact that he was given an assignment has infuriated the Left, along with some moderate Republicans. The purge of the Squad — Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), especially — and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) from their committee assignments is expected, but Democrats are not going down without a fight (via WaPo):
Republicans are making a strong statement with their committee membership plans by giving plum assignments to members who have expressed extremist beliefs and been linked to white nationalists (see below), while making clear they will get back at Democrats for kicking those members off panels in the last Congress.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.), who were removed from their committees in the last Congress by Democrats, have been given two committee assignments each. Both will sit on the House Oversight Committee, which is expected to launch several investigations into President Biden, his administration, as well as his son, Hunter Biden.
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Republicans’ next move is expected to be denying Democratic Reps. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (Calif.) seats on the House Intelligence Committee, and seeking to kick Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs Committee.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will nominate Schiff to be the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, according to a person familiar with the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.
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Schiff has been “on leave” from the Appropriations Committee while he led the Intelligence Committee for the past four years, leading the party through the first impeachment of President Donald Trump. (Republicans have charged Schiff with leading a “witch hunt” and “lying” about evidence, charges Schiff and Democrats adamantly deny. Our colleague Glenn Kessler has a fact check here.)
Alternately, Jeffries could appoint Schiff to one of the new select committees that Republicans created to investigate China (which has bipartisan support), the government's handling of the pandemic, and the “weaponization” of the federal government.
McCarthy said on Fox News last week that he would not block any of Jeffries’s picks for those new select committees.
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As for Omar, the process to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee would involve a vote by the entire House.
She anticipates being reappointed to that committee, her spokesman said. A vote to kick her off would show how clearly members switch positions depending on who is doing the offending.
It’s good that both sides view China as a problem, but it doesn’t matter—it’s not like anything will come from that committee. China already wrecked our economy and others worldwide with their negligent protocols at their Wuhan lab that allowed the COVID virus to escape. I wouldn’t be shocked if this was done intentionally. The House GOP vows to investigate the Department of Justice and its politically biased operations against conservatives—good, but nothing will come of it. What needs to happen is that the entire DOJ needs to be dissolved. Do you think that is going to be a recommendation? It will be gridlock and partisan games with nothing getting done, and I’m all for it. We can act and behave like who we are—we hate each other. Show it. Screw with our enemies, but that’s only if the GOP can stomach it. This is practice for what needs to be done to destroy the Democrats in future elections, and thus far, Republicans are far too nice and more concerned about looking ethical. No one cares—you’re politicians, and we all expect you to be sociopathic trash.
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