House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has blocked two Democrats, Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, from serving on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in a move seen as political payback for the Democrats' removal of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) from committees earlier this year. McCarthy has cited a “new standard” from Democrats for why he would strip Schiff and Swalwell of their committee seats, and the decision has been met with criticism from both sides of the aisle. The move is seen as a response to the Democrats' decision to remove Greene and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) from committees, and it remains to be seen how the decision will affect the House Intelligence Committee's ability to fulfill its duties.
Posts tagged as “Adam Schiff”
Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana has publicly opposed Speaker Kevin McCarthy's efforts to remove three Democrats from committees, signaling potential complications for the House GOP's efforts. McCarthy has the power to keep members off the Intelligence panel, but not the Foreign Affairs Committee, which is a standing committee. Spartz's opposition may be enough to sway the outcome of the dispute, which is expected to continue in the coming days.
Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was questioned by a congressional panel about her involvement in spreading false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. In her deposition, she admitted she had no evidence of widespread fraud and was relying on "news reports" and "friends on the ground". When asked if she would have changed her position if she had known two years ago that Trump's campaign lawyers were aware there was no truth to the fraud claims, Thomas replied, "I don't know". She also confirmed her "best friend" was her husband, but objected to questions premised on the idea that she considers the election "stolen". Thomas stated she worried there was fraud and irregularities that distorted the election, but it wasn't uncovered in time, resulting in President Biden.