# Adam Schiff U.S. Senator from California since January 2025, sworn into the seat held for 30 years by Dianne Feinstein. Previously U.S. Representative for California (2001–2024) and Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (2019–2023). Defeated former Dodgers star Steve Garvey in the November 2024 California Senate race. ## The first impeachment Schiff served as lead House manager for the [[Trump First Impeachment]] Senate trial in January–February 2020. As Chair of House Intelligence, Schiff had overseen the impeachment inquiry's public hearings in October–November 2019, including testimony from [[Alexander Vindman]], Ambassador William Taylor, [[Fiona Hill]], [[Marie Yovanovitch]], and [[Gordon Sondland]]. His closing arguments — particularly the "right matters" peroration — were the most-cited prosecution rhetoric of the trial. ## January 6 Schiff served on the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (2021–2022), one of two members (with [[Jamie Raskin]]) who had also managed the first impeachment. The committee's December 2022 final report recommended criminal referral of [[Donald Trump]] to the DOJ on multiple counts, including incitement of insurrection. ## Censure In June 2023, the House voted 213–209 to censure Schiff for statements made during the Trump-Russia investigation. Schiff received a standing ovation from House Democrats during the censure proceeding. The censure was widely understood as retaliation for his role in the first impeachment and the [[J6 Committee]]. ## 2024 Senate race Won the November 2024 race against Garvey, having maneuvered through California's open primary system to ensure a Democrat-vs-Republican general election. Sworn in for the remainder of Feinstein's term December 9, 2024 (replacing appointed senator Laphonza Butler), then sworn in to his own six-year term January 3, 2025. ## The boat-strikes memo, November 2025 Schiff was among the members of Congress shown the [[Office of Legal Counsel]] opinion the administration cites as authority for its lethal strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. After reading it in **November 2025** he said: "If that opinion were to be adopted, it would not constrain any use of force anywhere in the world. I mean, it is broad enough to authorize just about anything." The remark became load-bearing in court rather than only in politics. When the [[ACLU]] and the Center for Constitutional Rights sued for the memo under the [[Freedom of Information Act]], Judge Paul Engelmayer cited the fact that the opinion had been shared with members of Congress — Schiff among them — as a reason the government's attorney-client privilege claim failed (**September 30, 2026**). Briefing a skeptical senator is what broke the privilege. ## Related - [[Trump First Impeachment]] - [[Trump Impeachments Timeline]] - [[January 6 Capitol Attack]] - [[Jamie Raskin]] — counterpart for second impeachment - [[Mueller Investigation]] — early-Trump-era focus - [[Office of Legal Counsel]] — author of the boat-strikes opinion he reviewed - [[Combatant Commands]] — the command running the strikes