What Adam B. Schiff said, and what was done

“Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable member of my staff who is retiring from public service: Mr. David Grannis. I must admit I misled David into coming to the Senate floor for this speech.”

“``resting ice face,'' kind of like I am getting right now, and allow for your own internal dialogue to wreck you. Both techniques were very effective. When Peter, a former prosecutor, was told to run a hotline, he had no idea what to do--something I can relate to after joining the Senate after so many years in the House.”

“Mr. President, more than a year and a half ago, when Donald Trump placed his hand on a Bible and took the oath of office for the second time, he swore to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.”

“Mr. President, due to unforeseen circumstances on Wednesday, June 24, I was unable to be present for the following rollcall vote No. 185. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: 1.”

“Madam President, 3 weeks ago, this body voted to have a debate over the President's war in Iran; more specifically, whether the United States Congress should exercise its constitutional authority to declare war or to bring this conflict to an end.”

“Elidio, a DACA recipient from the Bay area, wrote in a letter to me: I was recently diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, and I was inquiring if you can help out with an inquiry on the timetable of the process.”

“Mr. President, Members, this amendment is very brief. Its operative language is a single sentence. It provides: No judgment, award, compromise settlement, interest, or costs shall be authorized for payments that arise out of a lawsuit or claim filed by the President or Vice President.”

“Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act and all budget resolution disciplines that apply, I move to waive all points of order for the purposes of the pending measure.”

“Mr. President, today I rise to honor and celebrate Temple Knesset Israel in Los Angeles for its milestone 100th anniversary. Founded in 1926, Temple Knesset Israel has been a beacon of light for its community; a congregation that has shown an ability to grow in the modern world and build strong foundations for future generations.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 100th anniversary of San Bernardino Valley College, a milestone that reflects a century of educational opportunity, service, and community impact.”

“Pursuant to 50 U.S.C 1546(a) and section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act, I move to discharge the Committee on Foreign Relations from further consideration of S.J.”

“For the last 8 weeks, I have taken to the Senate floor to oppose the Iran war. I have pointed out the lack of an imminent threat from Iran and the shifting justifications for the war.”

“Right now, my colleagues, FEMA is holding up more than $3 billion in disaster relief funding for California--funds that could be used to help families impacted by fires, floods, and other disasters that have hit the Golden State in recent years.”

“Mr. President, today the Iranians claimed to have seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while firing on a third. The President has ordered the blockade of Iranian ports to continue, even as he announced a cease-fire, even as he backed off yet another apocalyptic threat.”

“And that cost could be the most substantial of all because the establishment of a precedent in which the President can initiate a war of enormous consequence, a war in which we pay a tremendous cost in life and treasure--without any input, without any approval--that precedent may lead to additional wars, needless wars, dangerous and damaging wars, which brings us to this moment and to this War Powers Resolution and the need to use our constitutional power to bring an end to this war.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the Chandler School's 75th anniversary in Pasadena, CA. Chandler School was founded in 1950 by Thomas and Catherine Chandler with a small but visionary class of 15 students.”

“Mr. President, we are now in the second month of Trump's Iran war, and we have already, tragically, lost 13 servicemembers, including one--CW3 Robert Marzan--from my home State of California.”

“President's actions and inaction are only making life more unaffordable for our citizens. We are now in the second month of Trump's Iran war, and the President has offered no proposal to even authorize the use of force in Iran, nor have Republicans demanded one.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Ohr Shalom Synagogue in San Diego, CA. The synagogue first opened its doors on May 14, 1926, and has served the Jewish Community in San Diego for 100 years.”

“Architectural Foundation's 2019 Open House. Ohr Shalom holds prayer services offering daily Minyan, observes weekly Parashat, and provides candlelight ceremonies for the community. Moreover, the Synagogue's commitment to the broader community is exemplified by its monthly food distributions to San Diegans in need of assistance.”

“Mr. President, last Friday, public reports indicated that more than 2,500 marines stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County were now on their way to the Trump war in the Middle East, the Trump- Iran war.”

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Booker for his extraordinary leadership on this War Powers Resolution. Some of my colleagues may not know this, but I was raised in a divided household.”

“Madam President, the author George Orwell wrote about a dystopian future in which the party in power spoke in doublespeak, a language in which up meant down and down meant up, good meant bad, and nothing was as it seemed.”

“From Kiersten in Sausalito, I heard: My husband is a first responder and law enforcement officer with the National Park Service and has served for 18 years. He currently works in the Bay area, where income is adjusted for cost of living, but the childcare subsidy is not.”

“Mr. President, just over a year ago, Los Angeles County fell victim to the worst natural disaster in my lifetime. The Eaton and Palisade fires were unthinkable tragedies--lives taken; livelihoods incinerated; old photographs, family heirlooms, childhood homes gone forever; the homes of more constituents, friends, staff gone, along with the place where my wife and I got married; whole blocks of neighborhoods razed with indiscriminate and random destruction.”

“The other most important power they gave us is the power to declare war. There is no argument that this is anything less than war. This resolution is about stopping that war, but it is also about reasserting Congress' vital role as a check on the Executive and on the abuse of the authority to bring a nation to war.”

“Madam President, we are at war once again--this time with Iran. It is a war that the President declared, incidentally, almost accidentally when he talked about the prospect of casualties among our brave servicemembers being a possible outcome--an outcome that has already, all too tragically, come to pass with the deaths of six of our troops and the grave injuries of others.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the centennial of the Stockton Symphony in Stockton, CA. Founded in 1926 by Italian immigrant Manlio Silva, the Stockton Symphony is the third-oldest continuously operating professional orchestra in the State of California.”

“Mr. President, just more than a year ago, Los Angeles County faced one of the most destructive disasters in the Nation's history. Entire neighborhoods torched and torn apart by wildfires, the magnitude of which we haven't seen on suburban streets of the Southland.”

“China isn't attacking its scientists. Europe isn't defunding its research universities. They are doing the opposite because they understand what this administration apparently doesn't: The future belongs to nations that invest in intellectual and creative talent, not to the nations that drive it away.”

“Mr. President, tonight, just down the hall, the President will stand before Congress and the American people. He will paint a picture of strength, prosperity, and national renewal.”

“Mr. President, in just 1 year and 1 week--that is, 373 days--Donald Trump and his administration have changed what it means to walk down the street in America.”

“Mr. President, 5 years ago, our Nation and democracy experienced one of its darkest days when a violent mob--incited by President Trump--ransacked the Capitol. Brave police officers were beaten, crushed, bear-sprayed, and maced while defending our democracy with their bare hands.”

“Mr. President, in a moment, I am going to ask this body to pass legislation requiring the Department of Defense to show Congress and the American people the September 2 video of strikes that killed two survivors on a shipwrecked vessel after the administration's first strike disabled the craft.”

“Mr. President, first, as my colleague served on the Intelligence Committee when I chaired the committee, he should well know that Members of Congress actually don't hold clearances that can be revoked; we either serve on certain committees or we don't.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 100th Annual Trek to the Nation's Christmas Tree in Kings Canyon National Park in California. Also known as the General Grant Tree, it is located in Grant Grove, home to many giant sequoias, and is one of the oldest trees in the world, standing proudly for millennia.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to honor and celebrate a milestone of 150 years in the making--one that began long before Santa Monica appeared on a map and long before the first plots of land were sold.”

“Mr. President, almost 6 years ago, I stood here on the Senate floor--I was not yet a Member of this body--and spoke as a House Member leading President Trump's first impeachment. ``We are not enemies,'' I said, quoting Lincoln, ``but friends.”

“When the political system that is supposed to address economic challenges proves itself incapable or indifferent, too many people become susceptible to the siren song of any demagogue who insists that they alone can fix it.”

“Mr. President, today's vote will determine how much methane polluters are allowed to belch into the air. It will determine how many asthma attacks Americans suffer. It will determine how many Americans will die because we relaxed the standards on how much methane oil and gas companies are allowed to leak into the air that we breathe.”

“Mr. President, colleagues, I rise in support of this proposal to extend the ACA tax credits, extend the existing law for another year, reopen the government, and give us time to negotiate the longer term extension of the Affordable Care Act.”

“Mr. President, I am proud to join my colleagues Senator Kaine and Senator Paul in introducing this War Powers Resolution that provides that we have not authorized the use of force against Venezuela.”

“Mr. President, I rise today in support of Senator Warren's resolution condemning President Trump's decision to pardon Changpeng Zhao. Last week, President Trump once again put his wealthy allies, family members, and business partners ahead of the public trust when he granted a pardon to the founder of Binance.”

“Mr. President, I just want to join in raising a few points in response to our colleague. First, the pardon power is not absolute. If the pardon power were absolute, a President could order vast branches of the U.S.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Stacey Mortensen, who is retiring after nearly 30 years of outstanding public service, including her noteworthy tenure as executive director of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission.”

“I thank the Senator for yielding and for your extraordinary speech and all that you have elucidated today and for your powerful advocacy on behalf of our democracy.”

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Blumenthal for leading this special order opportunity on the Senate floor, on such a vital issue, at such an important time. I stand in this well in support of my colleague's request as the Senator representing both the State first impacted by the President's abuse of our military and one against which he has threatened further action and deployment.”

“Mr. President, I want to take a look at the last 9 months in this country, at the first 9 months of this administration, and see just how far we have traveled down the road toward dictatorship in 9 months.”

“Justice Department to go after his political enemies. This week, it is James Comey. Next week, it will be someone else, and the week after that, who knows?”

“Pursuant to Section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act, and as provided under the order of October 7, 2025, I move to discharge the Committee on Foreign Relations from further consideration of S.J.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to bring before the Senate a resolution concerning one of our most serious constitutional responsibilities: whether the United States should engage in armed conflict against a particular adversary.”

“Mr. President, let me just take this opportunity to address some of the remarks of my colleague who has, I think, rightly pointed out the horrors of drug trafficking and those that are engaged in that poisonous, deadly trade.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to welcome to Washington, DC, next week His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christianity. His All-Holiness is a guiding light for the 300 million Orthodox Christians, including many thousands across California, from San Diego to Eureka.”

“In awarding the prize, the Templeton Foundation noted Bartholomew's dedication to environmental causes, for which he has earned the nickname of the ``Green Patriarch.'' The foundation said his environmental ministry is ``harnessing the power of the sciences to expand our collective understanding of humankind's place and purpose in the world'' and that ``Bartholomew has also deepened Christians' ideas of what it means to be faithful in the world today.”

“Senator, thank you. There are lots of extraordinary and suspicious happenings around the Epstein case in the last few months. But just by way of background to those who may not be following each development, you have Epstein at one point describing himself as one of Donald Trump's closest friends.”

“Can I make one last point, with your indulgence? One other extraordinary fact about this is that none of the prosecutors who actually worked on prosecuting Maxwell were present.”

“Mr. President, the Senate this week is considering a nominee so patently unfit to be a Federal judge, so lacking in the temperament, integrity, and judgment to serve as an arbiter of the Nation's laws, that the chorus of opposition has grown deafening and the facts revealing his unfitness for office are too voluminous to be ignored.”

“How do we know this? How do we know the opening of this case or the threat of opening this case was bogus? Because the Chief of the Criminal Division in that office resigned rather than comply with this unethical edict.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Jeremy Renner, one of Hollywood's most electrifying and influential actors. Throughout his career, Jeremy Renner has clearly displayed his versatility as an actor, with an ability to bring an extensive range of characters to life.”

“Mr. President, my Republican colleagues have offered a substitute amendment that claims to prohibit cuts for programs dealing with HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, as well as nutrition and maternal health support, but the total amount of money they are rescinding is unchanged, putting all of those efforts at risk.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to E. Clement ``Clem'' Shute, Jr., as he receives the 2025 Dianne Feinstein Lake Tahoe Award. For over 50 years, Mr.”

“Mr. President, over the last 250 years, this country has grown from a handful of rebellious Colonies to an economic, scientific, military, cultural, technological, and agricultural behemoth. And, crucially, through it all, we have remained a democracy devoted to the hard work our Founders envisioned of making our Nation a more perfect Union.”

“Mr. President, reclaiming my time, feeding hungry kids is not waste, and if we have to send this bill back to committee to fix it and bring it back so kids can get fed, we should do it.”

“Madam President, today, we meet at the center of a great debate, at a crossroads that will determine the direction of the country for another generation. And this debate, this choice, goes to the heart of a central question that has been plaguing families in America over the last three decades but that is now just coming to the forefront.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to honor and congratulate the riders, roadies, staff, and organizers of the final AIDS/LifeCycle ride, a monumental journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles that has, for over two decades, raised critical funds and awareness in the fight against HIV and AIDS.”

“Mr. President, a little more than a couple of hours ago, my friend and colleague Senator Alex Padilla attended a press conference in the Federal building in Los Angeles being held by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem.”

“Some of those protests have taken place in Los Angeles, where Angelenos gathered to speak out against these actions, against the separation of families and the injury to our communities and our economy.”

“All of these grievances so vivid at the time of the Revolution--our Revolution--are so vivid today. And today they can be distilled into a single image--that of Senator Alex Padilla on the ground, face to the ground, and in handcuffs.”

“I thank the Senator for yielding. I just watched footage of our colleague--my California colleague-- Senator Alex Padilla, being forcibly removed from a briefing by the Secretary of Homeland Security's staff.”

“Mr. President, the U.S. Navy has developed many traditions over its centuries of existence. Among them is the method of naming its ships. Most, though not all, aircraft carriers are named after U.S.”

“Mr. President, I appreciate the comments of my colleague. Past Presidents and Secretaries of the Navy have named these ships. They have named them after civil rights leaders: John Lewis, Thurgood Marshall.”

“Madam President, Members, welcome to the roaring twenties, not the ones you may have read about in F. Scott Fitzgerald novels, not the ones with jazz and liberation and industrial boom.”

“Because to make the air dirtier requires 60 votes, and they don't have 60 votes, or it requires Republicans to break their word, to eliminate the filibuster so they can do the bidding of those who would pollute our air.”

“Mr. President, I thank my colleague Senator Padilla for his eloquent speech on this subject. Today, I want to talk about what is taking place in this Chamber, and I want to talk about it in two respects.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to honor a long-time member of my staff Kyle Abrams, who has spent more than 4 years on my team during my time in the U.S.”

“Mr. President, here we are, the moment that we have been warning about, the moment the majority and its Members used to say, under their leadership, would never come.”

“Mr. President, today, I want to talk about ``The Art of the Deal'' because Donald Trump has been busy making deals. Not his promised trade deals. Those are heavy on promises but very light on actual deals.”

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Whitehouse for his remarks. He has been our environmental champion in the Congress for many years, and he led the effort to insist that the Senate follow the rules when it comes to protecting our environment and when it comes to preserving the power of the Parliamentarian.”

“The iconic Ford and Chevy automobiles of the 1950s and 1960s kept their roofs shut. And, in some cases, the smog was so bad that people mistook it for a chemical weapons attack.”

“Mr. President, I want to acknowledge my colleague from Virginia, Senator Warner. Thank you for your extraordinary leadership of the Senate Intelligence Committee. You have brought your intellect, your talent, and your ingenuity to the service of the Nation's security, and you have been doing a remarkable, remarkable job.”

“Mr. President, the Trump administration is corrupt. It is easily the single most corrupt and lawless administration in American history. And it would be exceedingly difficult to debate that simple proposition because notwithstanding all of the whataboutism we occasionally hear, there is really no denying it.”

“I thank you for being here, Senator Booker. I always knew you were a towering intellect and a phenomenal and passionate speaker and advocate, but I did not know your stamina until today, and I am delighted to join you on the floor and have this opportunity to engage in a dialogue with you.”

“Let me ask the question this way. I was in the airport yesterday when someone handed me a note that said: ``Please save our country.'' ``Please save our country.'' And I think the genesis of the note was her profound concern over the direction of this country, over the increasingly authoritarian direction of this country and what is happening to the rule of law in America.”

“And, of course, it is not just the firms or what they represent. It is everyone who is in need of a lawyer who now needs to know that, if they run afoul of the policy preference of the administration, they may never get a lawyer.”

“I would like to believe he said this: America is a great country because America is a good country. If he didn't say it, he should have said it, because it is true.”

“And I will tell you, I approached that case as a prosecutor would approach a case--that I just needed to prove the President guilty of what he was charged with.”

“And you remind us of this all the time, Senator Booker. You really do. You also remind us that we are not defined by what we are against.”

“Now, some of those big ideas are not new. Medicare for all, which I support, is a big idea. That would expand healthcare access for millions of people and make sure people, parents can go to work and understand if they get sick or their kid gets sick that they will have access to healthcare.”

“Mr. President, John Adams once said that we are a Nation of laws, not men. And this idea has been foundational to the understanding of the American Republic.”

“I thank my colleagues for their courtesy to speak on this resolution. I urge you to beware the temptation of . . . label[ing] both sides equally at fault, [the temptation] to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire.”

“Mr. President, I stand here on behalf of Western States colleagues--Senators Padilla, Heinrich, Lujan, Bennet, and Hickenlooper--to ask this Chamber to take a clear stand on behalf of the firefighters who help fight and prevent wildfires.”

“Mr. President, today, the Senate is on track to confirm Kash Patel as Director of the FBI. Think about that statement for a moment. Kash Patel--conspiracy theorist, January 6 denier, MAGA sycophant, and political provocateur--will be FBI Director.”

“There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as FBI Director.'' He sat in that committee room and told the Senate all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.”

“Mr. President, today, we consider the nomination of RFK, Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. In a time when science has given us the tools to extend life, to eradicate disease, to protect the most vulnerable among us, this body is being asked to confirm a man who has dedicated the better part of his career to attacking science.”

“Mr. President, after Tulsi Gabbard was selected as Donald Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda was overjoyed. They wrote: ``The CIA and FBI are trembling.'' Sadly, the Russian newspaper is probably right about that.”

“Where do we draw the line with Donald Trump? What level of unfitness in a nominee? What level of unconstitutionality in an Executive action? What level of abject disregard of our judicial system?”

“Education of our kids--let's close down the Department of Education. OK, comparatively, you look at the Department of Education and you look at the Department of Defense. There is not a whole lot of money already in the Department of Education, but, hey, if it helps to pay for one more of those tax cuts, let's do away with the Department of Education.”

“Mr. President, 8 days ago, democracy and the rule of law were dealt another blow. It wasn't at the hands of a mob this time. No bear spray.”

“When the Senator from Maine asked Mr. Hegseth about the omission of the war in Ukraine from his prepared remarks, here was his response: Senator, that is a Presidential-level policy decision.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to address the Senate on behalf of the people of California. And I thank my colleague Senator Padilla for his leadership during this time of incredible difficulty and strain for our fellow constituents.”

“``[W]hy didn't you leave?'' One father refused to leave the side of his son who had cerebral palsy, fighting to his last breath. The last words he said to his daughter were, ``Baby, I'm getting ready to evacuate, I love you . . .”