Thursday night was a busy day for the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition to passing two amnesty bills, the House also voted to allow Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, in a resolution introduced by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The party line vote was 218-200, with Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Michael Guest (R-Miss.) voting present.
Leader McCarthy tweeted about it as a matter of putting Democrats "on the record."
Every Democrat is now on the record: They just voted to keep Eric Swalwell on the House Intelligence Committee—despite his long-standing relationship with a reported Chinese spy.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 19, 2021
They chose politics over national security.
Leader McCarthy has long spoken out against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) letting Rep. Swalwell remain on the committee after he was linked to suspected Chinese spy, Fang Fang. Rep. Swalwell interacted with her from 2012-2015, and in 2014 she helped fundraise for his re-election campaign, though he's refused to say if he had a sexual relationship with her.
I have filed a resolution to remove Rep. Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 18, 2021
Swalwell engaged in a years-long relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, and his conduct makes clear he has no place serving on the committee in charge of America's top secrets. pic.twitter.com/8Tb9TOh976
Kyle Cheney reported on the matter leading up to the vote with the apt headline, "FBI reiterates lawmakers should report counterintel threats as GOP forces Swalwell vote." Well, duh. Cheney wrote:
“Members of Congress are routinely provided with defensive briefings to raise awareness of the potential for them to be targeted by foreign adversaries,” a senior FBI official said Thursday in response to an inquiry about Swalwell. "As part of this briefing, they are encouraged to alert the FBI about any suspicious activity and to cooperate with any investigation.”