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McCarthy May Not Be Able To Keep Key Promise To Remove Omar From Committee

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


House Speaker and California Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy may not be able to keep one of the promises he made to his Party and it is not his fault.

After axing Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee he may not have the votes he needs to do the same to Democrat Minnesota Rep.  Ilhan Omar as Republican Reps. Victoria Spartz of Indiana and Nancy Mace of South Carolina have hinted that they will not support it.

“Two wrongs do not make a right. As I spoke against it on the House floor two years ago, I will not support this charade again,” Rep. Spartz said, The Hill reported.

The reference was to when Democrats axed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep. Paul Gosar from their committee assignments.

“I’m not going to be a hypocrite just because Republicans are in the majority now. It’s not been a precedent in Congress to kick people off of their committees because of things that they say, even if you vehemently disagree with those things,” Rep. Mace said, but she did say she was not a definite “no.”

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Those two votes would not normally stop him, as he could still get by on getting 219 Republican votes, but Republican Florida Rep. Greg Steube fell off a ladder and will not be in the House voting.

“I am blessed to have a great support team in my wife Jennifer as well as numerous friends and family, including the Steube pups!

“Grateful for everyone’s prayers and well-wishes as I recover from a fractured pelvis, a punctured lung, and several torn ligaments in my neck,” he said.

“While I will be sidelined in Sarasota for several weeks, I will be carrying out as many of my congressional duties as possible, and our DC and district staff continue to be readily available to assist Floridians in FL-17.

“I’m eager to rejoin my colleagues in Washington as soon as possible!” he said.

He could still get it done if he got every Republican vote, but one top Democrat thinks that is not going to happen.

“There’s already two Republicans that have indicated that they won’t vote to put her off, and I think others will come aboard also.  So I don’t think it’s going to be a simple vote. I think that she has a good chance of staying,” Rep. Gregory Meeks said.

It comes after Schiff made a decision about the future of his career. The Democrat will be campaigning for the Senate seat of California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has not announced her retirement.

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“Our democracy is at great risk. Because GOP leaders care more about power than anything else. And because our economy isn’t working for millions of hard-working Americans. We’re in the fight of our lives—a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator,” he said in a tweet.

“We’re in the fight of our lives—a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator,” he said in a video shared to Twitter in which he made his announcement.

He shared a montage of himself being attacked by former President Donald Trump and various Fox News personalities.

He then bragged about impeaching former President Trump and showed a montage of left-wing personalities praising the job he did.

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“The Senate is where many of these fights over the future of our democracy take place,” he said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times prior to his campaign launch. “Some of Donald Trump’s biggest enablers are in the Senate. And I think that is where I can most effectively champion our democratic institutions.”

“I have just tremendous respect for (Sen. Feinstein) and — more than respect — admiration and affection,” he said, mentioning that he informed her of his decision before making the announcement.

“I think she will make her own decision about an announcement when she feels ready to do so,” the representative said. “She’s earned that right, and I certainly respect her to do that whenever she determines the time is right.”

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