Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) hopes to put his dramatic ouster from the House Intelligence Committee behind him, eyeing a seat on the Senate’s panel now that he’s hopped chambers.
In a brief interview, Schiff told the Washington Examiner he would like to join the historically bipartisan committee in January when he begins his first full term in the Senate.
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Schiff was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee for eight years, four of which were spent as its chairman. Still, ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed him in 2023, calling his tenure a threat to “national security.”
“I would love to,” Schiff said of joining the Senate panel.
At the time of his removal, Republicans complained that Schiff spread unfounded claims that President-elect Donald Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Democrats said McCarthy was simply exacting “revenge” for their decision to strip two Republicans of their committee assignments in the last Congress.
In addition to Schiff, McCarthy barred Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the committee over his alleged ties to a Chinese spy.
Schiff, who was sworn into the Senate on Monday, acknowledged he is unlikely to get a seat on the Senate Intelligence Committee right away. Barring any shake-ups, there will only be a single vacancy due to Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-PA) election loss, a spot that will go to Republicans, given their control of the chamber next year.
“I realize, as a new member, I may have to wait a while,” Schiff said.
Still, he’s already begun to cobble together his old committee portfolio. He is taking over the assignments of Sen. Laphonza Butler, including a spot on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee.
Butler, a caretaker for the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, resigned from the Senate over the weekend so Schiff could build seniority over his other freshman colleagues.
“I hope to continue my long interest in Judiciary and Intel and Foreign Affairs and other issues,” Schiff said.
Schiff’s Judiciary seat gives him a bully pulpit next year as Trump returns to the White House. As the lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020, Schiff won the election to the Senate, promising to be a “check” on his second term.
He was also named to the Senate Banking, Homeland Security, and Rules Committees on Tuesday evening in a resolution approved on the Senate floor.
Next year provides another chance for senators to change assignments. Leadership, in conjunction with the so-called Committee on Committees, is in the process of hammering out who will serve where in the new Congress.
But, there is little appetite for drastic change on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the ranking Democrat, does not support expanding its roster beyond the 17 who sit on the panel today. At one point, it had 15 members.
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“I don’t think it should be further expanded,” Warner said.
Schiff declined to say whether he had spoken with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about a seat on the committee. The deadline to submit his request for assignments was Nov. 25.
