(TargetLiberty.org) On Friday, Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) office confirmed that the Speaker was going to proceed with the establishment of a bipartisan House task force. This would help create the ground rules and the bylaws for removing lawmakers from their committee seats.
His office further noted that the Republicans to join the panel would be Representatives: Nancy Mace (S.C.), David Joyce (Ohio), Ken Buck (Colo.), and Tom Cole (Okla.), who chairs the Rules Committee.
According to the Washington Post, which first reported the establishment of the panel on Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), has also reportedly suggested Democratic Reps. Jim McGovern (Mass.), Derek Kilmer (Wash.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), and Nikema Williams (Ga.) to join the panel.
McCarthy had vowed to create this panel following the removal of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee following her previous comments regarding Israel. McCarthy also blocked both Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from sitting on the Intelligence Committee.
Many Democrats accused McCarthy of abusing his power as Speaker with these moves. In order to respond to these accusations, McCarthy said that he would create a bipartisan panel that would create clear guidelines for the removal of lawmakers from their committee seats.
The debate regarding committee assignments first started in 2021, when the Democratic majority removed Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.) from their previous assignments.
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