House censures Congressman Adam Schiff

The House of Representatives voted along party lines Wednesday night to censure California Democrat Adam Schiff. Opponents censured him for “misleading the American public and for conduct unbecoming of an elected Member of the House of Representatives.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., sponsored the resolution, saying Schiff lied about former President Donald Trump in saying that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. Schiff said the resolution’s allegations are false and that he’s wearing the censure “as a badge of honor.” 

What does it mean to censure a representative? A censure is a formal disapproval of a member’s conduct in either chamber of Congress. The chamber must have a majority vote to censure a member. A censure carries no other power than a public rebuke—although penalties can be included for members. The House has censured 25 lawmakers in its history, including Schiff. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Leo Briceno’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about House Speaker Kevin McCarthy trying to keep the Republican majority on the same page.