House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) condemned House Speaker Kevin McCarthy(R-California) after the Republican vowed to leave Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California), Adam Schiff (D-California) andIlhan Omar (D-Minnesota) off committee assignments while George Santos (R-New York) was named to two committees last week.
Santos made headlines following the election for embellishing his resume. He was also accused of keeping money a veteran raised to help his dying dog for himself, but he has since denied those allegations. Despite the personal and political embarrassments, sources say he is set to join the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
Jeffries called the move an “apparent double standard,” and responded by nominating Schiff and Swalwell to the Intelligence committee.
“At the same time that Republicans have threatened to deny seats on the Intelligence Committee to clearly qualified Democratic members, serial fraudster George Santos has been placed on two standing committees of the House and welcomed into your conference,” Jeffries wrote in a Saturday letter to McCarthy.
He added that Republicans blocking the Democrats from committee assignments would jeopardize “the spirit of bipartisan cooperation so desperately needed in Congress.”
McCarthy originally promised to remove Schiff, Swalwell and Omar after a bipartisan group voted to take away Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) and Paul Gosar‘s (R-Arizona) committee assignments for using violent rhetoric in 2021.
Jeffries noted in his letter that McCarthy’s punishment to the Democrats was uncalled for as they “never exhibited violent thoughts or behavior.”
“Together, these Members have over two decades of distinguished leadership providing oversight of our nation’s Intelligence Community, in addition to their prosecutorial work in law enforcement prior to serving in Congress,” Jeffries wrote.
