The House of Representatives delivered a clear message of accountability on Wednesday. Republican lawmakers voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), marking a significant win for the GOP in their effort to challenge Democrats over their ongoing misinformation campaigns.
As per the results announced by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the censure resolution passed with 213 votes in favor, exclusively from Republicans, and 209 against, all from Democrats. Notably, six Republican lawmakers abstained by voting present, underlining the contentiousness even within party lines.
The resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff just passed the House of Representatives _with_ the changes I insisted were needed to make it constitutional.
Thank you to everyone who stood with me and the Constitution to fix this resolution.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 21, 2023
Following the announcement, a wave of chants echoed through the congressional chamber as Democrats applauded their colleague. Schiff, a House veteran of over two decades, is pursuing a U.S. Senate seat in California, competing to fill the vacancy that the upcoming retirement of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will leave.
The censure resolution highlights Schiff’s misleading of the American public and alleges conduct unbecoming of an elected member of the House of Representatives. It mandates Schiff to present himself in the well of the House for the pronouncement of censure. It also calls for the Committee on Ethics to probe into Schiff’s alleged falsehoods and misrepresentations.
The decision, mainly based on Schiff’s claims of collusion between President Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, marks Schiff as only the third member of the House to be censured since the turn of the century. This sends a powerful message about the Republicans’ will to combat what they perceive as a narrative fabricated by Schiff and his Democratic colleagues.
🚨 BREAKING: The House has voted to censure Adam Schiff and he will now face an ethics investigation.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 21, 2023
As set out by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who spearheaded the censure resolution, Schiff launched a political campaign against a sitting U.S. president based on baseless distortions. Luna emphasized the severity of Schiff’s actions, stating that they not only compromised the honor of the House of Representatives but also altered the country’s trajectory forever.
Yet, in a defiant response to the censure, Schiff expressed gratitude to the Republicans, stating, “You honor me with your enmity, you flatter me with this falsehood.” Schiff positioned himself as a defender of democracy, vowing to stand proudly in the face of this resolution. However, his message might resonate less with those who perceive this action as an overdue response to Schiff’s alleged disinformation.
While Schiff was being cheered and hugged by Democrats on the House floor, the symbolic censure vote may signal a shift in the political climate. Schiff, once leading Trump’s first impeachment proceeding, is now facing accountability for his previous actions as GOP voters hope the majority they elected to the House will continue to press forward.
