House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday he has signed a resolution to censure House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff. “Chairman Adam Schiff has been lying to the American people for years. Now he is so desperate to damage the president he literally made up a false version of a phone call,” Mr. McCarthy, a California Republican, said in a tweet.
The measure to censure Mr. Schiff, a California Democrat, was introduced by last week by Rep. Andy Biggs, the incoming chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.
Mr. Biggs, an Arizona Republican, introduced the measure after Mr. Schiff misrepresented the phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky that is now the center of an impeachment inquiry in Washington.
In his opening statement during a hearing with acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Mr. Schiff said the president ordered his Ukrainian counterpart to “make up dirt” on 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden, the former vice president.
“I have a favor I want from you,” Mr. Schiff said. “And I’m only going to say it seven times so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it, on this and that.”
Mr. Trump did not ask Mr. Zelensky to make up dirt on his political rival, according to a transcript of the phone call released last week by the White House.
The measure alleges Mr. Schiff “misled the American people” and made “a mockery of the impeachment process” with “egregiously false and fabricated retelling.”
Mr. Biggs said members of the intelligence committee have lost faith in the chairman’s ability to lead the panel.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump called Mr. Schiff “sick” and said the congressman should resign over misrepresenting the phone conversation.
“Congressman Adam Schiff should resign for the Crime of, after reading a transcript of my conversation with the President of Ukraine (it was perfect), fraudulently fabricating a statement of the President of the United States and reading it to Congress, as though mine! ” Mr. Trump said in a tweet. “He is sick!
