Schiff: “We can vote on this now, or we can vote on this in January”

November 11, 2026 - Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) motioned for the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Volume II of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report about President Trump’s mishandling of classified documents, a request that was blocked by Senate Republicans.

Schiff pledged to continue the push when Senate Democrats take over leadership of the Committee in January.

“The district court’s order in that case relied on a woefully inaccurate factual finding that Congress had expressed no formal interest in the report. This committee should correct that record as soon as possible,” said Senator Schiff. “The public still does not know the evidence supporting the criminal charges involving classified documents against President Trump and his co-conspirators. This committee has been receiving and releasing documents related to special counsel reports, but doing so selectively. And the – I think – simple, obvious next step would be to actually release the report. So I would urge the committee to join me by voting to subpoena DOJ, reclaim our oversight power, and under the committee rules, I’m entitled to a roll call vote on this.”

Schiff pointed to committee rules that allow members of the minority to request such a vote, and highlighted the precedent the denial of the vote would set for Senate Republicans in the future.

“We can vote on this now, or we can vote on this in January, in which I think a subpoena will be issued. The implication, though, of not voting on it now, of denying the minority vote on it now, will be it will be the Republican position when you’re in the minority that the minority party no longer has the right to command a vote, to require a vote on a subpoena. So, if you want to give up that right, you’ll be doing it today,” Schiff said.

Schiff had previewed the motion at the Committee’s meeting in September.

You can watch that moment here.

Source: Senator Adam Schiff