In a historic move, the House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for his relentless promotion of claims regarding former President Donald Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 campaign. The resolution passed with a vote of 213-209, with every Republican voting in favor, except for six who voted “present,” while every Democrat opposed it.
Following the vote, Democrats expressed their discontent by gathering on the House floor, chanting “Shame!” and “Disgrace!” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) attempted to regain order but was met with resistance. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) resorted to personal attacks, referring to McCarthy as a “spiteful coward” and accusing him of “weak leadership.”
In response, McCarthy summoned Schiff to the well of the House, prompting applause and cheers from fellow Democrats. Despite repeated interruptions from his colleagues, McCarthy remained resolute, stating, “I have all night.”
Schiff, complying with the resolution’s requirements, stood before the House, where he was embraced and praised by numerous Democrats surrounding him. Additionally, the resolution mandates an investigation by the House Committee on Ethics into Schiff’s “falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information.”
This was not the first attempt to censure Schiff. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) had previously introduced a resolution, which failed due to its inclusion of a $16 million fine against Schiff. However, after revising the language and removing the fine, the resolution successfully passed on a party-line vote. Luna argued that it was necessary to combat Schiff’s “lies” about Trump.
As the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff played a leading role in Trump’s first impeachment proceedings, which centered around a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the call, Trump sought information regarding then-candidate Joe Biden’s alleged misconduct in Ukraine.
Speaking in his own defense, Schiff expressed gratitude to the Republican colleagues who presented the censure resolution. He dismissed their claims as a “falsehood” and suggested that their opposition demonstrated his effectiveness in defending democracy.
Despite Democrats’ efforts to table the resolution, their attempt failed along party lines in a 218-208 vote. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Republicans, accusing them of doing Trump’s bidding and displaying misery in the process.
This latest censure vote against Schiff highlights the ongoing contention between Republicans and Democrats regarding the Russia collusion claims. McCarthy’s decision earlier this year to remove Schiff from the Intelligence Committee further exemplified the GOP’s determination to challenge Schiff’s assertions, which were never substantiated.
The ramifications of this censure vote are likely to reverberate in the political arena, underscoring the deep ideological divide within the House of Representatives and its impact on future congressional proceedings.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna on Adam Schiff being censured:
“He is going to go down in history for exactly who he is, which is someone that tore apart our country, lied to the American people…” pic.twitter.com/9Srr7kcAgB
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 22, 2023
