History of Adam Schiff in Timeline
Adam Schiff is an American politician and lawyer currently serving as a U.S. Senator for California since 2024. A Democrat, he previously served twelve terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (2001-2024) and in the California State Senate (1996-2000).
1913: Creation of California's 27th Congressional District
In 1913, California's 27th congressional district was created. Adam Schiff became only the second democrat to represent this district since its creation when he was elected in 2000.
June 22, 1960: Adam Schiff Born
On June 22, 1960, Adam Bennett Schiff was born in Framingham, Massachusetts.
1970: Moved to Scottsdale, Arizona
In 1970, Adam Schiff and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona.
1972: Moved to Alamo, California
In 1972, Adam Schiff and his family relocated to Alamo, California.
1978: Graduated from Monte Vista High School
In 1978, Adam Schiff graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where he was class salutatorian and voted "most likely to succeed".
1982: Graduated from Stanford University
In 1982, Adam Schiff graduated with distinction from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
1985: Graduated from Harvard Law School
In 1985, Adam Schiff graduated cum laude with a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
1987: Assistant United States Attorney
In 1987, Adam Schiff became an assistant United States attorney in the Central District of California.
1990: Met Eve Sanderson
In 1990, Adam Schiff met his future wife, Eve Sanderson, on a tennis court.
1993: Prosecuted Richard Miller
In 1993, Adam Schiff prosecuted Richard Miller, a former FBI agent who spied for the Soviet Union, as an assistant United States attorney.
May 1994: Lost Special Election for California State Assembly
In May 1994, Adam Schiff ran as a candidate for the 43rd district seat in the California State Assembly in a special election but lost to James E. Rogan.
1995: Marriage to Eve Sanderson
In 1995, Adam Schiff married Eve Sanderson. They later had two children, Alexa (Lexi) and Elijah (Eli).
1996: Elected to California State Senate
In 1996, Adam Schiff was elected to represent the 21st district in the California State Senate, defeating Paula Boland.
1998: Authored Senate Bill 1847
In 1998, Adam Schiff authored Senate Bill 1847, which continued work on the Blue Line light rail extension to Pasadena by renaming it the Gold Line and creating the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority.
2000: Elected to Congress
In 2000, Adam Schiff unseated James E. Rogan, becoming the U.S. Representative for California's 27th congressional district.
2000: End of term in California State Senate
In 2000, Adam Schiff's term in the California State Senate concluded.
2001: Elected to the House of Representatives
In 2001, Adam Schiff began serving in the United States House of Representatives.
2001: Discussing Bush-era Plans
In 2001, Adam Schiff was discussing Bush-era plans from 2001 and 2002 to fight ISIS.
2002: Discussing Bush-era Plans
In 2002, Adam Schiff was discussing Bush-era plans from 2001 and 2002 to fight ISIS.
2003: Voted in favor of Iraq War
In 2003, Adam Schiff voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq.
2003: Pasadena Gold Line Completed
In 2003, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority finished the Pasadena Gold Line.
2006: Formed Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press
In 2006, Adam Schiff formed the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Caucus for the Freedom of the Press, which aimed at advancing press freedom around the world.
October 11, 2007: Armenian Genocide Resolution Approved
On October 11, 2007, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved U.S. House Resolution 106, introduced by Adam Schiff, recognizing the Armenian genocide.
2007: Offered Amendment on Foreign Intelligence
In 2007, Adam Schiff and Representative Jeff Flake offered an amendment clarifying that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is the exclusive means for collecting foreign intelligence information within the U.S.
October 1, 2009: Introduced Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act
On October 1, 2009, Adam Schiff, Mike Pence, and Christopher Dodd introduced the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act in response to the murder of Daniel Pearl.
March 4, 2010: House Committee Approves Armenian Genocide Resolution Again
On March 4, 2010, the House Foreign Affairs Committee again approved the resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide by a 23-22 margin.
May 17, 2010: Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act Signed into Law
On May 17, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act into law.
2010: District Renumbered After Census
After the 2010 census, Adam Schiff's congressional district was renumbered as the 28th and became more Democratic.
2010: Re-elected to Congress
In 2010, Adam Schiff was re-elected to a sixth term in Congress, defeating Republican John Colbert.
2010: Participation in Washington, D.C. triathlon
In 2010, Adam Schiff was the only U.S. representative to participate in the inaugural Washington, D.C., triathlon.
2012: Re-elected to Congress
In 2012, Adam Schiff was re-elected to Congress, defeating Republican Phil Jennerjahn.
2012: Attacks on Benghazi Diplomatic Compound
In 2012, there was an attack on the Benghazi diplomatic compound that Schiff investigated. He found flaws in the intial talking points, but no intent to decieve.
2014: Provision Attached to Appropriations Package
In 2014, Adam Schiff and Senator Dianne Feinstein attached a provision in the omnibus appropriations package, directing the U.S. secretary of transportation and the FAA to address helicopter noise in Los Angeles County.
2014: Introduced Telephone Metadata Reform Act
In 2014, Adam Schiff introduced the Telephone Metadata Reform Act, which would prohibit the bulk collection of domestic phone records.
2014: Appointed to House Select Committee on Benghazi
In 2014, Adam Schiff was appointed to the House Select Committee on Benghazi as one of the five Democrats on the committee.
2014: Re-elected to Congress
In 2014, Adam Schiff was re-elected to Congress, defeating independent candidate Steve Stokes.
2014: Participation in AIDS/LifeCycle
In 2014, Adam Schiff was the first member of Congress to participate in the AIDS/LifeCycle, a seven-day charity bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, to raise awareness and funding to fight HIV and AIDS.
February 2015: Expressed Regret for Iraq War Vote
In February 2015, Adam Schiff expressed regret for his vote in favor of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, citing faulty intelligence and disastrous consequences.
2015: Supported Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
In 2015, Adam Schiff supported the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen, citing the illegal action of the Houthi rebels and their Iranian backers.
2015: FAA Created Helicopter Noise Complaint System
In 2015, as a result of Schiff's efforts, the FAA created a countywide helicopter noise public complaint system for Los Angeles County.
2016: Schiff accused of promoting conspiracy theory that Trump colluded with Russia
In 2016, Adam Schiff was accused of promoting the "conspiracy theory" that Trump colluded with Russia in the United States presidential election. On June 21, 2023, the House of Representatives censured Adam Schiff for this act.
2016: Re-elected to Congress
In 2016, Adam Schiff was re-elected to Congress, defeating Republican Lenore Solis.
2016: Schiff Investigates Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Elections
In 2016, Adam Schiff, as ranking member on the House Select Intelligence Committee, was involved in conducting inquiries related to Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. This investigation was discussed on April 2, 2017, on CNN's State of the Union.
2016: Gold Line Extended to Azusa
In 2016, the Gold Line was extended to Azusa.
2016: Schiff accuses Trump campaign of colluding with Russia
In 2016, while discussing Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Adam Schiff suggested there was collusion between the campaign and Russia, although he admitted he had not seen direct evidence. This statement was made during a March 22, 2017 interview.
March 22, 2017: Schiff claims "more than circumstantial evidence" of Trump-Russia collusion.
On March 22, 2017, in an interview with Chuck Todd, Adam Schiff stated that there was "more than circumstantial evidence now" suggesting collusion between Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. He clarified that while he hadn't seen direct evidence, the existing evidence warranted a thorough investigation.
April 2, 2017: Schiff Discusses Russian Interference and Nunes's Actions
On April 2, 2017, Adam Schiff, as ranking member of the House Select Intelligence Committee, appeared on CNN's State of the Union and discussed the inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. He addressed Michael Flynn's request for immunity, separate inspections of White House documents, Trump's allegations of wiretapping in Trump Tower, and Devin Nunes's association with the Trump White House. Schiff stated it was irresponsible not to investigate the matter fully and accused Nunes of attempting to distract from potential Russia connections.
July 23, 2017: Schiff Raises Concerns About Trump's Interests and Russian Influence
On July 23, 2017, during an appearance on Meet the Press, Adam Schiff expressed concerns that President Trump's actions might be influenced by personal interests and potential Russian leverage. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that Trump's decisions were aligned with America's best interests. In response, the next morning, Trump attacked Schiff on Twitter, calling him "Sleazy Adam Schiff" and dismissing the Russian collusion investigation. Schiff retorted that Trump's behavior was beneath the dignity of the office.
2018: Re-elected to Congress
In 2018, Adam Schiff defeated Republican nominee Johnny Nalbandian to be re-elected to Congress.
2018: Writing Screenplays
In 2018, The New Yorker reported that Adam Schiff had been writing screenplays on the side for years, including a murder mystery, a post-Holocaust story, and a spy drama.
October 29, 2019: House Passes Armenian Genocide Resolution
On October 29, 2019, the full House of Representatives passed the resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide by a vote of 405-11.
December 18, 2019: Trump Impeached by the House of Representatives
On December 18, 2019, Adam Schiff, as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, played a key role in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump stemming from the Trump–Ukraine scandal. The House voted along party lines, with 228 votes to 193, to impeach Trump, making him the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.
2019: Chaired House Intelligence Committee
In 2019, Adam Schiff became the chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
January 15, 2020: Pelosi Names Schiff Lead Impeachment Manager
On January 15, 2020, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Adam Schiff as the lead impeachment manager. In this capacity, Schiff led a team of seven House members responsible for presenting the impeachment case against President Trump during the Senate trial.
2020: Crowded Primary
In 2020, Adam Schiff faced a crowded primary that included Republican attorney Eric Early and Democratic drag queen Maebe A. Girl. He won the primary with a majority of the vote, with Girl and Early in a close race for second.
2020: Re-elected to Congress
In 2020, Adam Schiff was re-elected to Congress after winning a primary against Eric Early and Maebe A. Girl.
July 1, 2021: Schiff Appointed to January 6th Select Committee
On July 1, 2021, Adam Schiff was appointed by Speaker Pelosi as one of the nine members of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.
October 2021: Publication of "Midnight in Washington"
In October 2021, Adam Schiff published "Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could", a book recounting the effects of the Trump presidency.
January 2022: Announced Reelection Campaign in New District
In January 2022, Adam Schiff announced he would run for reelection in the new 30th district.
June 21, 2022: Schiff Leads Day 4 of January 6th Committee Hearings
On June 21, 2022, Adam Schiff led Day 4 of the January 6th Committee's public hearings. Testimony included Republican officials Brad Raffensperger, Gabe Sterling, and Rusty Bowers. The hearing also focused on the harassment and threats against Georgia poll worker Wandrea' ArShaye Moss and her family by Trump supporters.
January 26, 2023: Schiff Declares Candidacy for U.S. Senate
On January 26, 2023, Adam Schiff announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2024 election. This announcement preceded an endorsement by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after Dianne Feinstein declared she would not seek reelection.
June 21, 2023: House of Representatives Censures Schiff
On June 21, 2023, the House of Representatives censured Adam Schiff in a party-line vote concerning his role as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee and his promotion of the "conspiracy theory" that Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 United States presidential election. The resolution accused Schiff of misleading the public with "falsehoods, misrepresentations and abuses of sensitive information".
2023: Removed from House Intelligence Committee
In 2023, Adam Schiff was removed from his position as chair of the House Intelligence Committee by Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy.
December 8, 2024: Resigned from the House
On December 8, 2024, Adam Schiff resigned from the House of Representatives in preparation for a potential appointment to the Senate.
December 9, 2024: Sworn into the Senate
On December 9, 2024, Adam Schiff was officially sworn into the United States Senate.
2024: Elected to the Senate
In 2024, Adam Schiff was elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, and Steve Garvey.
January 3, 2025: Schiff to Begin Senate Term
On November 5, Schiff won the election to complete Feinstein's remaining term and the election for the Senate term beginning on January 3, 2025. Therefore, Adam Schiff is expected to begin his Senate term on January 3, 2025.
July 2025: Schiff Leads Letter to Protect California Animal Welfare Law
In July 2025, as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Adam Schiff led a letter signed by 32 Democratic senators urging committee leadership to exclude provisions in the upcoming farm bill that would overturn California's Proposition 12, the farm animal welfare law.
2025: Schiff Supports Israeli Strikes on Iran
In 2025, Adam Schiff voiced his support for the Israeli strikes on Iran, claiming that Israel "could not afford" to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
2025: Expected Completion of Gold Line Extension to Pomona
In 2025, the Gold Line extension to Pomona is expected to be completed.
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