House to consider resolution to censure Adam Schiff

The House is looking to consider a resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) this week after a Republican lawmaker moved to force a vote on the measure.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, called the censure measure to the floor as a privileged resolution Tuesday, forcing action on the legislation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said the measure would likely come to the floor Wednesday.

“I’m working with Rep. Luna. We want it to pass, so we’ll be working closely to get it brought to the floor,” he told reporters.

Democrats can make a procedural motion to table the measure, which would effectively kill it, but that would require a majority vote. The office of House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.) said the House is expected to hold a procedural vote related to the resolution Wednesday.

Luna brought the resolution to the floor as a privileged resolution the same day that former President Trump — who was investigated by Schiff, which sparked GOP ire — pleaded not guilty to 37 counts following a Justice Department indictment on allegations that he improperly retained classified documents and refused to return them. Luna, a Trump ally, first introduced the measure May 23.

In a letter to Democratic colleagues Tuesday, first reported by CNN, Schiff called the resolution “false and defamatory” and argued that his GOP colleague was bringing it to the floor in an attempt “to gratify the former President’s MAGA allies, and distract from Donald Trump’s legal troubles by retaliating against me for my role in exposing his abuses of power, and leading the first impeachment against him.”

Schiff, who for years was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has accused Trump of colluding with Russia in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election. He also led the first impeachment inquiry of the former president, leading to the House voting to impeach the then-president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

This is not the first time House Republicans have gone after Schiff. In January, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blocked Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from serving on the Intelligence Committee, following through on a vow he had previously made. And in May, Luna filed a motion to expel Schiff from Congress.

Luna’s censure would condemn and censure Schiff “for conduct that misleads the American people in a way that is not befitting an elected Member of the House of Representatives.”

The legislation, which stretches four pages, zeroes in on allegations Schiff made about collusion between Russia and Trump’s team. It argues the California Democrat “abused” the trust he was afforded as chairman and ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, two roles he previously held.

Luna cites a report from special counsel John Durham that offered a scathing critique of the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign. Republicans have frequently used the report, issued last month, to bolster their argument that federal agencies have been weaponized against them.

“[Schiff] abused his position of authority, lied to the American people, cost American tax payers millions, and brought dishonor to our chamber,” Luna said on Twitter.

The resolution also said Schiff should be fined $16 million if the Ethics Committee, through an investigation, finds that the congressman “lied, made misrepresentations, and abused sensitive information.” That figure is half the amount Luna says the American taxpayers paid to fund the investigation led by Schiff into potential collusion.

Schiff told reporters Tuesday that the censure resolution was an example of Republicans “placating Trump and once again showing their undying obedience to him,” and argued that the measure was damaging for Congress as an institution.

“I think [Republican] members understand or ought to understand what they’re doing with this is just damaging to the institution,” he said. “That’s not going to damage me, but it will damage the institution and, you know it’s just another sign of the bar being lowered and lowered and lowered that they’re taking up things like this.”

He also touched on that idea in a letter to colleagues.

“But regardless of how frivolous this resolution may seem, its consideration on the House floor will ultimately come at a cost to the country, our democracy, and to the integrity of the House of Representatives,” he wrote. “This resolution is not only a terrible misuse of House precedent and resources, but a clear attack on our constitutional system of checks and balances.”

“Once again, our GOP colleagues are using the leverage and resources of the House majority to rewrite history and promulgate far-right conspiracy theories — all to protect and serve Donald Trump,” he added.

He said he does not, however, plan to whip against the vote.

Mike Lillis and Emily Brooks contributed.