Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) will replace Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) blocked the former chairman from joining the panel.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced the Democrats who will serve on key select committees on Wednesday, among them Himes, who traveled with Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) to Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky last year.
“Thrilled to be asked by @RepJeffries to serve as Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee. Looking forward to working with Chairman @RepMikeTurner and a great group of Dem and GOP members to oversee our incomparable Intelligence Community,” Himes tweeted following the announcement.
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), who served eight years on the Intel panel, was the only member Democrats kicked off. “I’m sorely disappointed having been as active as member of the committee as I was,” Quigley told CNN. “And it would have been nice to hear directly from the leader.”
HOUSE INTEL MEMBERS TRY TO GET BACK TO ‘BIPARTISAN APPROACH’ AFTER SCHIFF AND SWALWELL REMOVED
Jeffries doled out committee assignments for three other committees on Wednesday: the Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government, the Select Committee on China, and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
He rewarded several members who aided in the impeachment of former President Donald Trump with spots on the “weaponization” committee. Reps. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), the new ranking member, and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) were impeachment managers, while Dan Goldman was Schiff’s right hand as the lead lawyer during Trump’s first impeachment proceedings.
Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) will serve as ranking members of the China and pandemic panels, respectively.
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McCarthy booted Schiff from the Intelligence Committee despite his long tenure as the top Democrat for pushing the narrative that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. Democrats have called the move “political vengeance” for stripping Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) of their committee assignments in the last Congress.
McCarthy also booted Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the Intel panel for his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy, while House Republicans are poised to remove another Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), from her spot on Foreign Affairs for past antisemitic remarks.
