McCarthy Responds to Shelving of Censure Resolution of Schiff

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks to the press after meeting President Joe Biden and other leaders at the White House in Washington on May 16, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) gave credence on June 15 to the 20 House Republicans who joined Democrats the previous day to successfully shelve a censure resolution of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

“I think everybody knows my thoughts of Adam Schiff,“ McCarthy told The Epoch Times. ”That’s why I removed him from [the House Intelligence Committee]. ... You have a number of members on principle that sat and argued for the last four years with President [Donald] Trump that you had to have due process and voted that way. And I think a number of them believe that they should [have] gone to [the House Ethics Committee] first.”

The motion to shelve the resolution, introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), passed 225–196.

The resolution blasted Schiff, who was the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, for perpetuating the notion there was collusion between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia—which was debunked by special counsel Robert Mueller in 2019, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz later the same year, and special counsel John Durham in May.

The resolution stated that, “by repeatedly telling these falsehoods,” Schiff “purposely deceived his committee, Congress, and the American people.” It also accused Schiff of having “used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation, which he then used to amass political gain and fundraising dollars.”

The resolution would have fined Schiff $16 million were he held liable by the House Ethics Committee, or half the cost of the Mueller probe.

These Republicans voted for the motion to table the resolution:

Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; and Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Michael Simpson (R-Idaho), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Kay Granger (R-Texas), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.),  Thomas Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), and Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.).

Following the vote, Luna told The Epoch Times, regarding those 20 Republicans, “They’re gonna have to respond to that.”

Despite her resolution being tabled, Luna told The Epoch Times that she will file a privileged censure resolution against Schiff next week, forcing another vote.

“You know, we’re seeing the downward spiral of the House, which is terrible for the institution,” Schiff told reporters following the vote.

“I am surprised that she is obsessed with me,” he told The Epoch Times.