House to consider GOP measure to censure Schiff as early as Wednesday
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The Republican-led House is expected to consider a measure as early as Wednesday that would censure Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) for pressing allegations that former president Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia.
The resolution also seeks to fine Schiff, the former House Intelligence Committee chairman, $16 million, which its sponsor, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), says is half the cost of an investigation into the alleged collusion.
Luna introduced the measure Tuesday, the same day Trump was arraigned in a federal courthouse in Miami on charges that he broke the law dozens of times by keeping and hiding classified documents in his Florida home. Luna’s measure is a privileged resolution, which means that under House rules it must be considered by Thursday.
The resolution alleges that Schiff “purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people” and “used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation.” It also says that Schiff “behaved dishonestly and dishonorably on many other occasions.”
“He abused his position of authority, lied to the American people, cost American taxpayers millions and brought dishonor to our chamber,” Luna said in floor remarks Tuesday.
Schiff, who is running for Senate to replace the retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), tweeted Tuesday night that “MAGA Republicans” were targeting him because “I hold them accountable and I’m effective.” (MAGA refers to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.)
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“This is really an effort, at the end of the day, to distract from Donald Trump’s legal problems, to gratify Donald Trump by going after someone they feel was his most effective adversary,” Schiff said Wednesday during an interview on CNN.
“I’m flattered by it, but the fact that Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy would take up this MAGA resolution when we have so many pressing challenges before the country is really a terrible abuse of House resources,” he added.
Schiff also is using the episode to raise money for his Senate bid. In an email solicitation Tuesday night, he asked supporters to chip in at least $10 “to help my campaign fight back against these attacks.”
Schiff served as the lead manager in the 2020 Senate trial after Trump’s impeachment in 2019 for threatening to withhold military aid to Ukraine in exchange for political favors. He was removed this year from the Intelligence Committee by McCarthy (R-Calif.), who accused him of having abused his power.
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House Democrats are planning to offer a motion to table Luna’s resolution, which would effectively kill it. That motion would need some Republican votes to succeed in the narrowly divided chamber.
If that motion fails, a vote on the resolution would take place. It is unclear whether it would have enough votes to pass.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), for example, signaled in a tweet Wednesday that he would not support censuring Schiff.
“Adam Schiff acted unethically but if a resolution to fine him $16 million comes to the floor I will vote to table it,” Massie said, adding that he has a pending lawsuit against former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for a “salary reduction” that resulted from a fine for refusing to wear a mask during the pandemic.
Schiff’s opponents in the 2024 Democratic Senate primary include Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). Schiff’s backers include Pelosi.