Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) opposes Republican leadership keeping three Democrats off of House committees, a move believed to be retaliation for the previous Democratic majority stripping two GOP lawmakers of assignments at the beginning of the last Congress.
Spartz issued a strongly worded statement over House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) vow to keep Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) off the Intelligence Committee and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) off the Foreign Affairs Committee. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who both have assignments in the new Congress, were the two lawmakers Democrats kept off committees.
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Spartz is the second Republican to oppose booting the Democratic lawmakers after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said she would not vote to do so. McCarthy can only afford to lose four Republicans when the vote on Omar’s committee assignment comes before the full House. McCarthy can unilaterally remove Schiff and Swalwell from the Intelligence Committee.
“Two wrongs do not make a right. Speaker Pelosi took unprecedented actions last Congress to remove Reps. Greene and Gosar from their committees without proper due process. Speaker McCarthy is taking unprecedented actions this Congress to deny some committee assignments to the minority without proper due process again,” Spartz said. “As I spoke against it on the House floor two years ago, I will not support this charade again. Speaker McCarthy needs to stop ‘bread and circuses’ in Congress and start governing for a change.”
Despite McCarthy’s vow, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) requested that Schiff and Swalwell be placed on the panel, setting up a clash between the two lawmakers.
McCarthy says Swalwell will be booted from the committee for a past relationship with an alleged Chinese spy. Schiff, who was the top-ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, will be booted for pushing the theory that former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Republicans oppose seating Omar for antisemitic comments she made about Israel.
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McCarthy allowed Greene and Gosar, who was punished last Congress for posting an animated video depicting violence against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), to have committee assignments again after Republicans took control of the lower chamber earlier this month.
Spartz signaled her displeasure with McCarthy during the contentious speakership election earlier this month, voting “present” instead of “yes” as a protest vote over the way concessions were being negotiated.
