(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced the “PENCIL Resolution” on Jan. 26, which states that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) “should not have access to classified information, should be investigated by the House Ethics Committee, and should have his comments made during any proceeding of Congress regarding Russian Collusion and the Trump campaign be officially struck from the record.”
PENCIL stands for the “Preventing Extreme Negligence with Classified Information Licenses Resolution,” and would express the sense of the House towards Schiff.
“Congressman Adam Schiff led the effort for years to weaponize lies from the Clinton campaign and a corrupt Department of Justice to smear President Trump while destroying any trust the country had left in America’s intelligence agencies,” said Gaetz in a statement.
“Speaker McCarthy kept his promise to remove Rep. Schiff from the Intelligence Committee, and with the PENCIL Resolution, we will express the sense of Congress that he should be barred from accessing any classified information at all,” Gaetz added. “He can no longer be trusted by his colleagues in Congress or the American people.”
At a press conference last week, Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters, “What did Adam Schiff do as chairman of the Intel Committee? What Adam Schiff did, he used his power as chairman and lied to the American public. Even the Inspector General said it.”
Schiff is the former chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. As chairman, he had access to classified information about President Donald Trump and the so-called Russia-Trump collusion, which has proved to be a hoax.
Schiff was responsible for characterizing sensitive intelligence information to other members of Congress and the American people.
On Jan. 26, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) said in a statement, “Adam Schiff is one of the most extreme Democrats in the House. He's responsible for covering up Hunter Biden's scandals and has spent his time on the Intel Committee pushing lies.”
The PENCIL resolution cites several instances in which Schiff allegedly made false statements. For example, it states that in December 2017, “Representative Schiff falsely claimed ‘the Russians offered help, the campaign accepted help, the Russians gave help, and the president made full use of that help’ when referring to unsubstantiated claims of collusion between former President Donald J. Trump and Russia during the 2016 election.”
On Jan. 26, Gaetz told Fox News, “Every member of Congress can access classified information by virtue of their election. Only the most egregious actions would warrant removal, and Adam Schiff has undoubtedly crossed the Rubicon.”
The PENCIL resolution has no legal binding power but, if passed, would express the sense of Congress.
Also last week, Rep. Schiff announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate.
“We’re in the fight of our lives for the future of our country," said Schiff in a statement. "Our democracy is under assault from MAGA extremists, who care only about gaining power and keeping it. And our economy is simply not working for millions of Americans, who are working harder than ever just to get by.”