House Dems Throw On-Floor 'Temper Tantrum' as Schiff Is Officially Censured
House Democrats voiced outrage Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California was censured by the House for making false claims about former President Donald Trump.
Censure is the highest level of disapproval of a member’s conduct short of expulsion.
The vote on the resolution, brought by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, was 213-209, according to Axios.
The five GOP members of the House Ethics Committee, which under the resolution will now consider Schiff’s conduct, voted “present,” as did Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado.
All House Democrats opposed censuring Schiff.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was able to read only part of the censure resolution aloud before Democratic heckling and shouting interrupted him to the point where he left the chamber, according to The Associated Press.
Greg Price of the State Freedom Caucus Network described the scene on Twitter: “Democrats throw a 5 minute temper tantrum in the well of the House chamber as the vote to censure Adam Schiff passes, yelling ‘shame’ at Kevin McCarthy and refusing to allow him to finish reading the resolution.”
Democrats throw a 5 minute temper tantrum in the well of the House chamber as the vote to censure Adam Schiff passes, yelling “shame” at Kevin McCarthy and refusing to allow him to finish reading the resolution. pic.twitter.com/kqQocSoZPi
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 21, 2023
Democrats called McCarthy a “spiteful coward” and “weak,” according to Axios. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called for him to be booted from his post.
During her comments to the House, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the vote was a “puppet show” and Trump the “puppeteer.”
“You look miserable. You look miserable,” the California Democrat told Luna.
Bravo 👏🏻
— 😎 C 😎 (@colsiegirl) June 21, 2023
“As chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff launched an all out political campaign built on baseless distortions against a sitting U.S. president at the expense of every single citizen in this country and the honor of the House of Representatives,” Luna said, according to CBS News.
The congresswoman called the vote to censure Schiff a choice ” between right and wrong,” according to ABC News.
“This is not a partisan act. This is not a conservative-versus-liberal vote. This is a clear vote between right and wrong, and I urge you to do the right thing,” she said.
Luna said “run[ning] away from this opportunity to hold this man accountable” would “betray the people who trusted us and sent us here [to Congress] to do the right thing.”
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
The resolution said Schiff “has spread false accusations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.”
“On March 20, 2017, Representative Schiff perpetuated false allegations from the Steele Dossier accusing numerous Trump associates of colluding with Russia into the Congressional Record,” the resolution said.
“As ranking minority member and Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Representative Schiff behaved dishonestly and dishonorably on many other occasions, including by publicly, falsely denying that his staff communicated with a whistleblower to launch the first impeachment of President Trump,” the resolution said.
Schiff Resolution by The Western Journal on Scribd
According to ABC News, since 2000, only two other House members have been censured — Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and former Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York.
CORRECTION, June 22, 2023: Ken Buck represents Colorado in the House. An earlier version of this article named a different state.
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