How Adam Schiff Brings "House Vibes" to the Senate
The newly elected Democratic senator is choosing to overlook a colleague's suggestion to "dump the House," as a seasoned party luminary continues to find his footing in the Senate across the Capitol.
TroibNews 
Adam Schiff is bringing a confrontational House style to his new role in the Senate, challenging the chamber’s more traditional, seniority-based culture.
Since transitioning from his two-decade House career to the Senate five months ago, the California Democrat has criticized his leadership's support for a Republican bill aimed at averting a government shutdown, organized a bicameral mock hearing despite being the junior-most member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and committed to opposing Trump’s nominee for top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia.
Typically, new senators take a lower profile to avoid overshadowing their senior colleagues. Nevertheless, Schiff, a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee renowned for leading President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, has thrust himself into the forefront of confirmation battles. He has even started his own Substack, sharing direct-to-camera videos explaining developments in Washington.
In an interview, Schiff admitted he might have preferred a quieter start had Vice President Kamala Harris won the presidency.
“I did arrive very intent on being seen and not heard, and I think frankly, if it had been a Harris presidency, I would have continued to be seen and not heard,” Schiff, 64, said. “But given that every day is a new crisis, none of us can afford to be seen and not heard.”
However, this approach has drawn mixed reactions from his colleagues in the Senate. The House is often characterized by interpersonal conflicts and the focus on personal branding, while the Senate is traditionally known for its more measured tactics and a culture of civility and bipartisanship that many veteran lawmakers fiercely protect.
“Dump the House stuff,” Sen. Maria Cantwell advised her new colleagues, including Schiff.
She emphasized that the Senate is a place for cooperation, where “today’s foe is tomorrow’s conduit for something that you really need for your state.” While she recognized the importance of articulating opposition to the Trump administration, she cautioned, “we don’t want to become the House.”
Schiff's assertive tactics, however, are equipping Senate Democrats with strategies to more robustly counter Trump and his policy goals. This resistance framework is something many party supporters have been eager for, particularly after last month's government funding impasse left many questioning Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s strategy.
Schiff, often a target of Trump's criticism, has grown accustomed to being marginalized by Republicans. In 2023, he was stripped of his position on the House Intelligence Committee by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and censured by the GOP-controlled House for his involvement in investigations into Trump.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was among the first to endorse Schiff in his Senate primary against two fellow House Democrats, expressed her frustrations about how Senate Democrats have managed confirmation processes for Trump’s nominees, suggesting her party should have taken a stronger stand against the president’s Cabinet selections.
“In my view, this is the worst Cabinet we’ve ever had in the history of our country,” said Pelosi, another Californian. “I think that [Democrats] should have been tougher” in opposing them.
In contrast, Schiff “has been particularly dogged about” holding nominees accountable during confirmation hearings, according to Pelosi. She noted that her former protégé brings “the House enthusiasm” to these proceedings.
During a notable moment in the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel, Schiff questioned the former House Intelligence Committee aide about his “proud” involvement in fundraising related to a musical recording by rioters at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He urged Patel to face the Capitol Police officers present, who defended the building during the violent outbreak.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and lead manager for Trump’s second impeachment trial, praised Schiff for maintaining the urgency characteristic of the House. He reflected that while Schumer might be considering the longer-term ramifications of the government funding conflict, the immediate situation called for a more pressing perspective.
“The House was set up to be … much more of a weather vane of what's going on in the country right now, whereas the Senate was designed to be a place where passions could cool off and people could take a longer view,” Raskin noted in an interview. “But I think that Adam maintains the cadence and the rhythm of the House.”
Schiff acknowledged the benefits of the Senate's more collegial atmosphere, where bipartisanship is common and personal attacks are rare. Nonetheless, he affirmed that he and his fellow freshmen won't just be “wallflowers,” labeling traditions that require new senators to wait months for their first significant floor speech as “completely outdated.”
Elected alongside Schiff last year were four other House Democrats: Sens. Andy Kim of New Jersey, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. Collectively, they voted against moving forward with the government funding bill, with Gallego noting that Schiff’s approach is representative of their entire class: “I think we all brought House energy to the Senate.”
Despite this, Schiff faces the challenge of adjusting to a loss of seniority within his caucus. Earlier this month, he attempted to regain public attention by teaming up with Raskin to organize a session for Democrats from both chambers to hear testimonies from former Justice Department officials who left the Trump administration.
This so-called shadow hearing, a tactic often employed by House members in the minority party to gain visibility without committee power or subpoena authority, is something Schiff aims to normalize in the Senate, suggesting future forums could address the GOP's efforts to impeach judges who issue unfavorable rulings.
“We should vigorously communicate with the public in every means that we can,” Schiff expressed. “When you're in the minority, you have to be more focused on message, more disciplined on message than the other side, and you have to be more unified. And we haven’t done that yet, and it’s been much to our detriment, and it has to change.”
In a demonstration of his strategic approach, Schiff took the lead in questioning during the recent shadow hearing, with Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and No. 2 Senate Democrat, sitting quietly beside him.
“He’s in a unique position,” said Durbin of Schiff during the event, “bridging the experience you had in the House of Representatives with this administration and now your responsibility here in the United States Senate.”
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
Since transitioning from his two-decade House career to the Senate five months ago, the California Democrat has criticized his leadership's support for a Republican bill aimed at averting a government shutdown, organized a bicameral mock hearing despite being the junior-most member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and committed to opposing Trump’s nominee for top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia.
Typically, new senators take a lower profile to avoid overshadowing their senior colleagues. Nevertheless, Schiff, a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee renowned for leading President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, has thrust himself into the forefront of confirmation battles. He has even started his own Substack, sharing direct-to-camera videos explaining developments in Washington.
In an interview, Schiff admitted he might have preferred a quieter start had Vice President Kamala Harris won the presidency.
“I did arrive very intent on being seen and not heard, and I think frankly, if it had been a Harris presidency, I would have continued to be seen and not heard,” Schiff, 64, said. “But given that every day is a new crisis, none of us can afford to be seen and not heard.”
However, this approach has drawn mixed reactions from his colleagues in the Senate. The House is often characterized by interpersonal conflicts and the focus on personal branding, while the Senate is traditionally known for its more measured tactics and a culture of civility and bipartisanship that many veteran lawmakers fiercely protect.
“Dump the House stuff,” Sen. Maria Cantwell advised her new colleagues, including Schiff.
She emphasized that the Senate is a place for cooperation, where “today’s foe is tomorrow’s conduit for something that you really need for your state.” While she recognized the importance of articulating opposition to the Trump administration, she cautioned, “we don’t want to become the House.”
Schiff's assertive tactics, however, are equipping Senate Democrats with strategies to more robustly counter Trump and his policy goals. This resistance framework is something many party supporters have been eager for, particularly after last month's government funding impasse left many questioning Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s strategy.
Schiff, often a target of Trump's criticism, has grown accustomed to being marginalized by Republicans. In 2023, he was stripped of his position on the House Intelligence Committee by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and censured by the GOP-controlled House for his involvement in investigations into Trump.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was among the first to endorse Schiff in his Senate primary against two fellow House Democrats, expressed her frustrations about how Senate Democrats have managed confirmation processes for Trump’s nominees, suggesting her party should have taken a stronger stand against the president’s Cabinet selections.
“In my view, this is the worst Cabinet we’ve ever had in the history of our country,” said Pelosi, another Californian. “I think that [Democrats] should have been tougher” in opposing them.
In contrast, Schiff “has been particularly dogged about” holding nominees accountable during confirmation hearings, according to Pelosi. She noted that her former protégé brings “the House enthusiasm” to these proceedings.
During a notable moment in the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel, Schiff questioned the former House Intelligence Committee aide about his “proud” involvement in fundraising related to a musical recording by rioters at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He urged Patel to face the Capitol Police officers present, who defended the building during the violent outbreak.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and lead manager for Trump’s second impeachment trial, praised Schiff for maintaining the urgency characteristic of the House. He reflected that while Schumer might be considering the longer-term ramifications of the government funding conflict, the immediate situation called for a more pressing perspective.
“The House was set up to be … much more of a weather vane of what's going on in the country right now, whereas the Senate was designed to be a place where passions could cool off and people could take a longer view,” Raskin noted in an interview. “But I think that Adam maintains the cadence and the rhythm of the House.”
Schiff acknowledged the benefits of the Senate's more collegial atmosphere, where bipartisanship is common and personal attacks are rare. Nonetheless, he affirmed that he and his fellow freshmen won't just be “wallflowers,” labeling traditions that require new senators to wait months for their first significant floor speech as “completely outdated.”
Elected alongside Schiff last year were four other House Democrats: Sens. Andy Kim of New Jersey, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. Collectively, they voted against moving forward with the government funding bill, with Gallego noting that Schiff’s approach is representative of their entire class: “I think we all brought House energy to the Senate.”
Despite this, Schiff faces the challenge of adjusting to a loss of seniority within his caucus. Earlier this month, he attempted to regain public attention by teaming up with Raskin to organize a session for Democrats from both chambers to hear testimonies from former Justice Department officials who left the Trump administration.
This so-called shadow hearing, a tactic often employed by House members in the minority party to gain visibility without committee power or subpoena authority, is something Schiff aims to normalize in the Senate, suggesting future forums could address the GOP's efforts to impeach judges who issue unfavorable rulings.
“We should vigorously communicate with the public in every means that we can,” Schiff expressed. “When you're in the minority, you have to be more focused on message, more disciplined on message than the other side, and you have to be more unified. And we haven’t done that yet, and it’s been much to our detriment, and it has to change.”
In a demonstration of his strategic approach, Schiff took the lead in questioning during the recent shadow hearing, with Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and No. 2 Senate Democrat, sitting quietly beside him.
“He’s in a unique position,” said Durbin of Schiff during the event, “bridging the experience you had in the House of Representatives with this administration and now your responsibility here in the United States Senate.”
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
