Topline
Far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) were reappointed to committees on Tuesday under the new Republican-controlled House, following their removal from committees in 2021 over a string of incendiary social media comments.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) during a news conference on … [+]
Key Facts
House Republicans assigned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to the Homeland Security Committee and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) to the Committee on Natural Resources, according to multiple reports.
Both Gosar and Greene have also been appointed to the House Oversight Committee, which is planning a string of investigations into the Biden Administration, including a newly launched probe into the classified documents found at Biden’s former Washington office and Delaware home.
Greene’s reinstatement comes after all House Democrats and 11 Republicans voted to remove her from the House Labor & Education and Budget Committees in 2021, citing social media posts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory and endorsing the execution of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Gosar was censured by the House and stripped of his assignments on the Natural Resources and Oversight & Reform Committees in 2021 after he posted a cartoon video to social media that appears to depict him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Key Background
Gosar and Greene’s reappointments come after Republicans narrowly reclaimed the majority in the House in last year’s midterm election, ending four years of Democratic control over the lower chamber. The GOP only controls the House by a four-seat margin, giving more power to individual lawmakers—including hard-right representatives who have sought to push GOP leadership. The steering committees for both parties are tasked with making recommendations for committee assignments, which must be voted on by each conference.
Tangent
Embattled freshman Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) will also be seated on committees, despite calls from GOP lawmakers and state Republican leaders for him to resign amid revelations he fabricated his resume and concerns about campaign finance violations, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters Tuesday.
Further Reading
House Ousts Marjorie Taylor Greene From Committees With Eleven GOP Votes (Forbes)
Rep. Gosar Censured After Sharing Violent Animated Video Of Him Killing AOC (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/01/17/gop-reps-greene-and-gosar-reassigned-to-house-committees-after-previous-congress-voted-to-remove-them/