King of the hill? More like, run from the hill. U.S. Capitol Architect, Brett Blanton, remains under scrutiny after an intense House of Administration hearing, last Thursday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called on President Joe Biden to immediately remove Blanton after “repeatedly abusing tax dollars.”
This call comes after bipartisan outrage over not only his admittance to avoiding Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, but an inspector general report found that Blanton had misused a government vehicle and allegedly impersonated an enforcement officer. Blanton has denied this allegation.
In a recent tweet, McCarthy states:
The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately.
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) February 13, 2023
Both Republicans and Democrats on the House Administration Committee have called for Blanton’s resignation since the hearing took place. The 90-minute hearing brought the truth to light as Blanton admitted to avoiding coming to the Hill on Jan. 6, thinking it would not be “prudent” to drive to work that day.
“I’m outraged that you would be in a comfortable place, sir, while the rest of us were thinking about dying that day and how we were going to come out alive that day,” Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) told Blanton. “Outrageous that you were not here.”
McCarthy joins House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) ranking member, Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.), and many other House constituents in calling for the resignation of the man who is supposed to be responsible for the building’s maintenance, preservation and development.
President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton’s on Monday, following all of the allegations. The AOC’s chief of operations, Mark Reed will be taking over the position but is only serving in an acting capacity. However, anyone would be better in this position than a coward who hides under the bed when things get tough.
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