Politics

Hensarling: ‘I’m offended’ Boehner purged Jones, Schweikert without notice [AUDIO]

Vince Coglianese Editorial Director
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Rep. Jeb Hensarling — the incoming chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services — told Rep. Walter Jones earlier this week that he was “offended” by the House leadership’s decision to purge several Republicans from their committee positions without even notifying them.

Jones relayed that conversation in an interview that aired Thursday night on WTKF’s “Viewpoints” radio program in eastern North Carolina.

Speaking to host Lockwood Phillips, Jones described how he discovered he had been kicked off the financial services committee and the reaction he received from Hensarling.

“I will tell you that yesterday the incoming chairman of the financial services committee, which is the committee that I, along with [a] congressman from Arizona named Dave Schweikert — the two of us were removed,” Jones explained, “and I did not receive a call from anyone. I had to find that out on the Internet — at least my staff did.”

“And yesterday, the incoming chairman, who is named Jeb Hensarling, called me on the floor and said, ‘Walter, I want you to know I knew nothing about this.’ And he’s made these statements public and been critical of Boehner for not even consulting the incoming chairman of the financial service committee,” Jones continued.

“And he said, ‘Walter, I had nothing to do with this.’ He said, ‘I’m offended that you and Schweikert have been put off the committee’ and he said, ‘I don’t know what I can do, but,’ he said, ‘I will tell you this’ — and I say this modestly, I really do — he said, of the 435 members, if I had to pick the top five that I think are the most ethical in Congress, you would be in the top five,'” Jones said, characterizing Hensarling’s remarks.

Bloomberg News reported Thursday that Jones was among four Republicans removed from their committee positions “because they weren’t regarded as team players,” according to a House Republican leadership aide.

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