Gaetz introduces ‘PENCIL Act’ to ban Schiff from accessing classified information

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy kicked U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff off of the House Intelligence Committee, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced legislation that would call on the House to vote if Schiff should be banned from handling any classified information.

The Daily Caller first reported on the legislation, titled the PENCIL Act, which stands for “Preventing Extreme Negligence with Classified Information Licenses.”

The title of the legislation stems from former President Donald Trump’s nickname for Schiff, “Pencil-Neck.”

A prime reason for Schiff’s removal involved “threats” to the U.S.’ national security.

Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Schiff falsely accused Trump of being a Russian agent. He also reportedly leaked classified information.

“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,” Gaetz told the Daily Caller before introducing the legislation.

The PENCIL Act would bar Schiff from accessing “any classified information at all.” Gaetz said Schiff can “no longer be trusted.”

“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. He can no longer be trusted by his colleagues in congress or the American people,” Gaetz said.

Former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “Adam Schiff lied to the American people” on Fox’s talk show ‘Outnumbered’ on Wednesday.

“During my time as CIA director and secretary of state, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him,” Pompeo said.

“Obviously, think about it, caught in a very compromising situation, this guy shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near our national secrets because of how compromised he was,” U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-IN, said to Fox News Reporter Pete Hegseth.

McCarthy also booted U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell off of the Intelligence Committee. He said the FBI was “concerned” about having Swalwell on the Intelligence Committee because of his “relationship with a Chinese spy.”

“Today, Mike Pompeo confirmed that Adam Schiff actually released, knowingly released classified information when he was chair of the Intelligence Committee. He shouldn’t be allowed on the committee after doing that, he should be punished for it so, kudos to Speaker McCarthy for following through on what he said he would do, neither of these two guys should even be in congress, let alone serving on the Intelligence Committee,” Banks continued.

Schiff called the removal “petty” and “political payback.”