2021: Schweikert Effectively Voted To Remove Representative Swalwell From The House Intelligence Committee. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against tabling, and thus killing, a resolution which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "remove Rep. Swalwell, D-Calif., from the House Intelligence Committee. The resolution would include findings that Swalwell 'has not denied public reporting' that a suspected Chinese intelligence operative helped raise money for his political campaigns and facilitated the potential assignment of interns in his offices." The vote was on a motion to table the resolution. The House adopted the motion by a vote of 218-200, thus killing the resolution. [House Vote 94, 3/18/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/18/21; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 243]
Republican Leadership Attempted To Expulse Congressman Eric Swalwell From The House Intelligence Committee Over Allegations That A Chinese Spy Fundraised For His Congressional Campaign A Couple Years Ago. According to The Washington Post, "The House shot down a bid from the Republican leader Thursday to kick Rep. Eric Swalwell from the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence over allegations that a Chinese spy raised funds for his congressional campaign years ago." [The Washington Post, 3/18/21]
The Resolution Would Have Expelled Swalwell From His Committee Post Due To His Lack Of Denial That The Chinese Spy Fundraised Campaign Funds And Helped His Interns Acquire Positions In His Office. According to The Washington Post, "McCarthy's resolution sought to oust Swalwell from the intelligence panel over the fact that he has not denied 'public reporting that a suspected Chinese intelligence operative helped raise money' for his campaign and helped interns seek potential positions in his congressional office." [The Washington Post, 3/18/21]
House Minority Leader McCarthy's Desire To Remove Congressman Swalwell Began In Late 2020 When The Allegations Surfaced About Swalwells' Connection To Chinese Spy Christine Fang, Known As Fang Fang. According to The Washington Post, "The resolution marks an escalation in McCarthy's campaign to see Swalwell removed from the panel, which began in earnest late last year when the allegations about Swalwell's ties to a suspected Chinese operative known as Fang Fang, or Christine Fang, first emerged in a story in Axios." [The Washington Post, 3/18/21]
Swalwell And Other Californian Lawmakers Were Targeted By Fang, Who Fundraised For Swalwell's Congressional Campaign And Was Photographed At A Political Event Alongside Him. According to The Washington Post, "Swalwell was one of several California politicians reportedly targeted by Fang, who did fundraising work for his campaign and was photographed alongside Swalwell at a political function." [The Washington Post, 3/18/21]
2015: Swalwell Ended Contact With Fang After The FBI Informed Him Of Suspicions Against Fang And He Was Allowed To Serve On The House Intelligence Committee Because House Leaders Were Informed Of The Situation. According to The Washington Post, "When the FBI let him know of its suspicions in 2015, he cut off contact. House leaders were also read in on Swalwell's situation in 2015, according to people familiar with the situation, and Swalwell was allowed to serve on the Intelligence Committee." [The Washington Post, 3/18/21]
December 2020: Even Though Congressman Swalwell Was Not Accused Of Wrongdoing, The FBI Briefed Speaker Pelosi And Minority Leader McCarthy, Who Suggested Swalwell Be Removed From The Intelligence Committee But Speaker Pelosi Said She Was Not Concerned Over His Committee Membership. According to The Washington Post, "The allegations resurfaced late last year, prompting yet another briefing to McCarthy and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Though Swalwell had not been accused of wrongdoing, McCarthy emerged from a December briefing with the FBI calling for him to be removed from the Intelligence Committee. Pelosi, however, said she had no concerns about letting Swalwell continue to serve on the panel." [The Washington Post, 3/18/21]
The Chinese Spy Interacted With Congressman Swalwell's First Congressional Campaign In 2012, Fundraised For His Campaign In 2014 And Helped Someone Get An Internship Through His Office. According to AP News, "His resolution against Swalwell cited information, first reported by Axios, that the suspected spy, Christine Fang, came into contact with Swalwell's campaign as he was first running for Congress in 2012. She also participated in fundraising for his 2014 campaign and helped place an intern in his office, the report said." [AP News, 3/18/21]
2023: Schweikert Voted To Remove Congresswoman Ilhan Omar From The House Foreign Affairs Committee. In February 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for a resolution that would "remove Rep. Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It would describe Omar's 2019 comments regarding the political influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups and subsequent comments regarding Israel and 9/11, including her comparison of 'atrocities' committed by the U.S. and Israel to those committed by Hamas and the Taliban. It would state that Omar 'has disqualified herself from serving on the Committee' and that her comments 'have brought dishonor to the House of Representatives.'" The vote was passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 218 to 211. [House Vote 105, 2/2/23; Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/23; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 76]
House Republicans Claimed Some Of The Comments Made By Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Were "Laced With Antisemitism." According to Congressional Quarterly, "Over Democratic cries of hypocrisy and 'revenge'-seeking, House Republicans on Thursday stripped one of the chamber's few Muslim female lawmakers of a coveted committee assignment, arguing some past comments she uttered were laced with antisemitism. In a party-line vote, the House approved a resolution (H Res 76), 218-211, to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Affairs Committee." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/23]
In 2019, Congresswoman Omar Apologized For Making Remarks That Referred To Wealthy Jewish Americans Influencing U.S. Politicians Through Money. According to Congressional Quarterly, "As a freshman member in 2019, Omar appeared at different points on social media and in public remarks to refer to the influence in U.S. politics of money from wealthy Jewish Americans, a common antisemitic trope. Many House Democrats strongly objected at the time. Omar apologized and the caucus has largely moved on since then --- but not House Republicans." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/23]
House Speaker McCarthy Pledged To Remove Congresswoman Omar From The Foreign Affairs Committee In 2021 After They Scrutinized Her For Criticizing Israel. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., promised in 2021 to boot Omar off the panel following her controversial comments, if the GOP took control of the chamber. He and other Republicans blasted her for her Israel-criticizing remarks." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/23]
December 2022: Liberal Jewish American And Pro-Israel Organization Released A Joint Statement That Condemned McCarthy's Intent To Remove Congresswoman From The Foreign Affairs Committee. According to Congressional Quarterly, "In December, a coalition of mostly liberal Jewish American and pro-Israel organizations released a joint statement condemning McCarthy's promise to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs panel." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/23]
2023: Schweikert Effectively Voted To Remove Congresswoman Ilhan Omar From The House Foreign Affairs Committee. In February 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for the "adoption of the rule (H Res 83) that would provide for floor consideration of [...] a resolution (H Res 76) that would remove Rep. Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The rule would provide for up to one hour of general debate on each measure." The vote was the adoption of the rule. The House adopted the rule by a vote of 218 to 209. [House Vote 102, 2/1/23; Congressional Quarterly, 2/1/23; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 76; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 83]
2023: Schweikert Effectively Voted To Remove Congresswoman Ilhan Omar From The House Foreign Affairs Committee. In February 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for the "motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 83) that would provide for floor consideration of [...] a resolution (H Res 76) that would remove Rep. Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The rule would provide for up to one hour of general debate on each measure." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 219 to 207. [House Vote 101, 2/1/23; Congressional Quarterly, 2/1/23; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 76; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 83]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene From Her Committee Assignments. In February 2021, Schweikert voted against a resolution which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from the House Budget and Education and Labor committees. It would state that, under the rules of the House, members and employees must 'behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House' and that Rep. Greene should be removed 'in light of conduct she has exhibited.'" The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 230-199. [House Vote 25, 2/4/21; Congressional Quarterly, 2/4/21; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 72]
Instead Of Holding Rep. Greene Accountable For Spreading QAnon Conspiracy Theories, "Making Racist, Anti-Semitic And Islamophobic Comments," And Promoting Violence Against Other Congressional Members, Greene Was Appointed To High-Profile Committee Posts. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Democrats argued Wednesday that Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy rewarded Greene with high-profile committee posts, rather than hold her accountable for pushing false QAnon conspiracy theories, making racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic comments and elevating calls for violence against members of Congress." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/3/21]
Rep. Greene Falsely Claimed The Parkland Shooting And The Sandy Hook School Shooting Were Staged. According to Congressional Quarterly, "the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School unfolded in 2018, a deadly attack which Greene falsely claims was staged [...] Greene has also endorsed the false claim that the Sandy Hook school shooting was staged." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/3/21]
Rep. Greene Previously Indicated Support For Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Assassination, Believed The Parkland Shooting Was Staged, Questioned The 9/11 Pentagon Plane Crash, Accused President Obama Of Practicing Islam, Posted Edited Photos Of Her Holding A Gun Against Other Congressmembers, Claimed In An Anti-Semitic Comment That A Space Laser Caused Wildfires In California, And Aligned Herself With QAnon Beliefs. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Prior to her election to Congress last year, Greene expressed support on social media for the assassination of Speaker Nancy Pelosi; agreed with those who said the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2018 was a 'false flag' operation; questioned whether a plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11; said President Barack Obama was Muslim; posted a photo of herself on Facebook holding a gun to images of Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib; mused that a space laser aligned with Jewish financial interests caused devastating wildfires in California; and aligned herself with QAnon, a baseless belief about an anti-Trump 'deep state' that engages in child sex trafficking and Satanism." [Congressional Quarterly, 2/4/21]
Green Apologized In A Closed Meeting Of House Republicans And Received A Standing Ovation. According to Vox, "In a closed meeting of House Republicans Tuesday night, Greene privately apologized for how her statements may have hurt fellow Republicans, stating that 9/11 and school shootings did happen and saying she embraced QAnon during a dark period of her life but has since moved forward. In a display of just how embedded she is in the House GOP, she received a standing ovation." [Vox, 2/4/21]
House Democrats Pressured House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy To Hold Congresswoman Greene Accountable And He Offered To Move Her To A Different Committee If Democrats Dropped The Resolution That Would Expel Her From Committees. According to Vox, "Pressure mounted on McCarthy to take action after Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) began creating the resolution to expel Greene from committees. His promise to meet with her was insufficient for House Democrats. On Monday, Hoyer gave McCarthy 72 hours to strip Greene of her committee assignments --- as Republican leadership had eventually done with former Rep. Steve King for repeated white supremacist comments. McCarthy called Hoyer with a counteroffer: He would move Greene from the Education Committee to a different committee if Democrats agreed to drop the resolution. Hoyer said no, and the Rules Committee moved forward with the resolution, voting to bring it to the floor." [Vox, 2/4/21]
2021: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene From Her Committee Assignments. In February 2021, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for the "Roy, R-Texas, motion to adjourn." The vote was on a motion to adjourn, thus delaying the vote on Rep. Greene's committee expulsion. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 205-218. [House Vote 24, 2/4/21; Congressional Quarterly, 2/4/21; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 72]
2021: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene From Her Committee Assignments. In February 2021, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the "adoption of the rule (H Res 91) that would provide for floor consideration of the resolution (H Res 72) that would remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from her assignments on the House Budget and Education and Labor committees. The rule would provide for one hour of debate on the resolution." The vote was on the adoption of the rule. The House adopted the rule by a vote of 218-210. [House Vote 23, 2/4/21; Congressional Quarterly, 2/4/21; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 72; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 91]
2021: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene From Her Committee Assignments. In February 2021, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the "motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 91) that would provide for floor consideration of the resolution (H Res 72) that would remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from her assignments on the House Budget and Education and Labor committees." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 218-209. [House Vote 22, 2/4/21; Congressional Quarterly, 2/4/21; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 72; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 91]