Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) on Friday went after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) again through efforts to keep three Democrats from the House committee. . (You can watch the Democrat’s appearance on CNN below.)
The three appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss McCarthy, who ousted Schiff and Swalwell from their seats on the Intelligence Committee last week. While McCarthy has claimed specious security reasons for not allowing the two in the committee, the move was obviously in retaliation for the Democrats secured Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) from committee assignments. in 2021.
Swalwell, who is linked to – but not accused of wrongdoing with – the alleged Chinese Intelligence operative, said that there was “nothing” and ripped McCarthy during an interview with Dana Bash on Friday.
“That’s some Bakersfield BS,” Swalwell said, referring to McCarthy’s home area in California. “It is Kevin McCarthy, the weapon of ability to carry out this political abuse because he perceives me, like Mr. Schiff and Ms. Omar, as an effective political opponent.”
McCarthy has also promised to bar Omar, who has been subject to Republican claims he is antisemitic, from the Foreign Affairs Committee. While he could turn down an individual seat on the Intelligence Committee, McCarthy would need a House vote to keep Omar from Foreign Affairs.
Omar, who made it clear he apologized for his past comments, told HuffPost earlier this month that he didn’t think McCarthy had a reason to remove him from the committee unless he was Muslim.
Omar, in an interview with Bash, called out Republican comments about Somali refugees, about Muslims and about himself.
“These people are OK with Islamophobia, they are OK with trafficking in their own way in antisemitism, they are not OK with Muslims having a voice in their committee,” Omar said of the Republic.
Omar, who has been the subject of severe Islamophobic attacks from Republicans, sent – and later please excuse me to – tweet “all about Benjamin” in reference to his support of the Republic of Israel in 2019.
Bash then asked Schiff, who is Jewish, whether Omar’s past comments “rose to the level of antisemitism.” The California Democrat called the claim a “pretext.”
Schiff noted that former President Donald Trump has dined with white nationalists and antisemites. He added that Greene, who had spoken at white nationalist rallies, and others who had made racist remarks had been allowed on committees by McCarthy.
“This – as my colleague said, Bakersfield BS – this is all pretextual and I do not accept the premise that this has anything to do with the actions of any member of the Democrats,” Schiff said.
“That’s the only weakness of speaker Kevin McCarthy because he depends so much on these extreme members.”