Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi ripped her Republican colleagues on the House floor Wednesday hours before GOP lawmakers voted to censure Congressman Adam Schiff.
Schiff has fallen target to a Republican-backed measure that would censure and condemn the California Democrat for his leading roles in investigations into former President Donald Trump and his alleged ties with Russia during his presidency. The resolution, sponsored by Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, claims that Schiff "purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people" throughout the investigations, during which Schiff served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
The resolution passed Wednesday night on a 213-209 vote across party lines, with six Republican members voting present. As Schiff was called to move toward the well, where House Speaker Kevin McCarthy read the resolution aloud, some lawmakers began chanting, "Shame! Shame!"
During debate on the resolution Wednesday, Pelosi took to the floor to attack House GOP members who, according to the former House speaker, have turned the chamber into a "puppet show."
"Today we are on the floor of the House where the other side has turned this chamber—where slavery was abolished, where Medicare and Social Security and everything were instituted—they turned it into a puppet show," Pelosi, a fellow Democrat from California, said. "And you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable. You look miserable."
"The only advantage to all of this is that instead of reversing what we did on the IRA to save the planet, or reversing what we did to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, you're wasting time," Pelosi added, before running out of time.
Luna responded to Pelosi's criticism before time to debate expired, stating that the censure resolution "is not about Donald Trump."
"This is about holding accountability for someone who exploited their official position, had access to information that most members of Congress do not have access to, and bringing accountability back to the American people," Luna said.
Democrats successfully postponed the measure against Schiff last week after 20 Republican members voted down the legislation. An earlier version of the resolution would have imposed a $16 million fine against Schiff, which Luna removed before Wednesday's preliminary vote.
Beyond the verbal rebuke, the resolution will also launch a House Ethics Committee investigation into the allegations against Schiff. The Democrat stood behind his actions while speaking on the House floor Wednesday, however, telling his Republican colleagues, "You honor me with your enmity."
"You, who are the authors of a big lie about their last election, must condemn the truth tellers and I stand proudly before you," Schiff said. "Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful."
"I say this to Speaker McCarthy and others who wish to gratify Donald Trump with this act of subservience or bend to his demands," Schiff said later in his speech. "Try as you might to expel me from Congress, or silence me with a $16 million fine, you will not succeed."
"You might as well make it 160 million, you will never deter me from doing my duty," he continued. "No matter how many false justifications or slanders you leveled against me, you indict yourselves."
Newsweek has reached out to Schiff's office via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
