On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) slammed a reporter who questioned his decision to block Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from continuing to serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
McCarthy made the comments after being asked about the treatment of Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who is facing a scandal for lies he’s made in the past, to his decision to not allow the two Democrats on the Committee.
“He’s got elected by his district. Let me be 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 your question or not. Okay, anyways, thank you. Let’s answer her question,” McCarthy began. “I’m gonna be very clear with you, 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 that are going on in the world, other Members of Congress don’t know.”
“What did Adam Schiff do with the Chairman of the Intel Committee? What Adam Schiff did is use his power as a Chairman and lied to the American public, even the Inspector General said it,” McCarthy continued. “When Devin Nunes put out a memo, he said it was false. When we had a laptop. He used it before an election to be politics, and say that it was false and said it was the Russians when he knew different, when he knew the intel. If you talk to John Radcliffe, DNI, he came out ahead of time and says there’s no Intel to prove that and he used his position as chairman, knowing he has information the rest of America does not and lied to the American public.”
McCarthy then addressed why he did not let Swalwell be on the Intel Committee, pointing to reports that Swalwell had a relationship with a Chinese spy who assisted him in being elected, which he and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) were briefed on by the FBI after Swalwell had been placed on the Committee.
“The FBI never came before this Congress to tell the leadership of this Congress that Eric Swalwell had a problem with the Chinese spy, until he served on Intel,” McCarthy said. “So it wasn’t just us who are concerned, the FBI was concerned about putting a member of Congress on the Intel Committee that has the rights to see things that others don’t because of his knowledge and relationship with a Chinese spy. They brought it to the works of the leaders. I’ve got that briefing. So I do not believe he should sit on that committee.”
“And I believe there’s 200 other Democrats that can serve on that committee. So this has nothing to do with Santo,” McCarthy concluded. “Santos is not on the Intel Committee, but you know what, those voters elected Schiff, and those voters elected Swalwell even though he lied to the American public too. So in all respect to his voters too, they will serve on committees, but they will not serve on a place that has national security relevance because integrity matters to me.”
.@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