Fact Check: Has Pramila Jayapal been removed from Ways and Means panel over illegal lobbying?
WASHINGTON, DC: A social media post claims that Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal has been removed from the House Ways and Means Committee over illegal lobbying for her party. The claim has sparked criticism and speculation, with online users calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Pramila Jayapal removed from House Ways and Means Committee
According to a viral Facebook post, "Jayapal has been relieved of her spot on the House Ways and Means Committee after Speaker Mike Johnson's office announced that she has been using the committee to illegally lobby for funds for Democrats".
"Representative Jayapal regularly moves to shift taxpayer money from the private sector to companies owned by Democrats engaging in socialist practices," read an alleged statement from Johnson.
"Her continued presence on the committee is an affront to the people who elected her."
The post ends by stating that Jayapal says she'll appeal the decision.
The claim has drawn criticism against the congresswoman, indicating that many believe the claim to be true, while a few others appeared to remain skeptical and called for verification.
Fact Check: Mike Johnson made no such announcement
The claim, however, is false and fabricated, as no reports suggest that Jayapal has been using the committee to illegally lobby for funds for Democrats.
There is no such announcement from Johnson's office that supports the claim. There are also no statements from the Speaker against Jayapal that match the above-mentioned text. A search on Google also returned no credible news media reports about the rumor, which, if true, would not go unreported.
Moreover, Jayapal is not a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Additionally, the post was accompanied by an image of Jayapal that includes overlay text in the bottom corner stating, ‘Nothing on this page is real,’ indicating that the claim was intended as satire, made for the sake of engagement.
Markwayne Mullin clashes with Pramila Jayapal
The claim gained traction after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin slammed Jayapal after she argued that the majority of the illegal immigrants detained by ICE were not threatening.
Jayapal claimed that the "majority of people" arrested by DHS pose "absolutely no threat to public safety,” to which Mullin reiterated, stating, "If we're going to have national security in this country, we [need to] know everybody that's entered this country."
"And so, I'm not going to release you back into the public once we know that you entered this country illegally." He added, "It's time for you to go home."
