US Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) Thursday over a sneaky move he made this week at former President Donald Trump's request.
The Democratic lawmaker explained during the latest episode of MSNBC's All In With Chris Hayes why the speaker's move was not only "unusual," but also "disrespectful."
"After a three-day recess, the Republican House majority is back in action getting Congress to tackle the issues Americans want addressed," host Chris Hayes said. "Like a proposal offered by pro-insurrection [House] Republican Paul Gosar (AZ) to put Donald Trump on the $500 bill, and some new personnel decisions as well. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) elevating two more election-denying Republicans — [US Rep.] Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and former White House physician [US Rep.] Ronny Jackson (R-TX) — to sit on the hugely influential and powerful House Intelligence Committee."
Hayes continued, "To make those appointments, Johnson skipped over several Republican members who actually had relevant career experience in the intelligence community — and, get this —Johnson apparently blindsided the committee chairman, his Republican colleague Mike Turner (OH), with his picks."
"According to reporting by MSNBC political analyst Jake Sherman, Speaker Johnson is telling people he made those appointments expressly because Donald Trump wanted him to," the MSNBC host emphasized. "And now Perry, a man who is at the center of the Trump fake elector's coup plot in 2020, is basically vowing to be the MAGA centry in the committee, saying that he will conduct actual oversight over the deep state for a change."
Hayes then turned to Swalwell, noting that he served on the intelligence committee "until the Republicans kicked" him off.
"How unusual is it for the speaker to appoint, and not tell the chair of that committee?" Hayes asked the California congressman.
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"Never seen it happen," Swalwell said. "I mean, it's so disrespectful. That committee — you meet three floors below the Capitol. There are no cell phones. you don't have the cameras, and it's not so public, and you want them to work well together. Putting Perry and Jackson on the Intel committee would be like putting Bonnie and Clyde in charge of bank security. It's absurd."
The California lawmaker added, "And that committee, especially during election time, you are focused on what foreign adversaries are doing to try to interfere in our election and now you have two people at the behest of Donald Trump who are going to gum up the works. Turner, I think, will want to do to try to expose this and understand it."
Watch the video below or at this link.
'Like putting Bonnie and Clyde in charge of bank security': Dem blasts Johnson’s 'absurd' move www.youtube.com
