The rumor gained traction shortly after a heated exchange between Markwayne Mullin and Jayapal regarding the threat level posed by undocumented immigrants.
WASHINGTON, DC: A viral social media rumor recently alleged that Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal was stripped of her seat on the House Ways and Means Committee for allegedly engaging in illegal lobbying on behalf of her party. The assertion quickly triggered widespread online debate and prompted users to demand independent verification.
Claim: Pramila Jayapal removed from House Ways and Means Committee
According to the widely circulated Facebook post, House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s office issued a statement announcing Jayapal’s removal because she supposedly used her committee position to illegally source funds for Democrats.
The fabricated statement attributed to Johnson claimed, “Representative Jayapal regularly moves to shift taxpayer money from the private sector to companies owned by Democrats engaging in socialist practices.”
It further quoted him as saying, “Her continued presence on the committee is an affront to the people who elected her.”
The post concluded by asserting that Jayapal intended to challenge the ruling.
While the narrative drew immediate criticism from critics of the congresswoman—many of whom believed it was authentic—others remained skeptical and pushed for proof.
Fact Check: Mike Johnson made no such announcement
In reality, the entire allegation is entirely false and fabricated. There are zero official reports indicating that Jayapal ever used a committee post to illegally funnel funds to Democrats.
No press releases or statements of this nature have ever been issued by Speaker Johnson’s office. Furthermore, a thorough search of mainstream news archives yielded no coverage of the supposed disciplinary action—an event that would undoubtedly make national headlines if it were true.
Adding to the falsehood, Jayapal does not even serve as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
A closer inspection of the viral post reveals an image of Jayapal featuring a small text overlay in the corner reading, “Nothing on this page is real,” pointing to the origin of the content as a satirical creation designed purely for online engagement.
Markwayne Mullin clashes with Pramila Jayapal
The satirical rumor gained momentum shortly after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin publicly pushed back against Jayapal during a hearing. The tension arose when the congresswoman argued that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants detained by ICE present no public safety risk.
Jayapal asserted that most individuals arrested by the DHS pose “absolutely no threat to public safety.” Mullin strongly disagreed, firing back, “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 emphasized, concluding with, “It’s time for you to go home.”