Jennifer Barbosa, an independent candidate challenging Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) for his House seat in 2020, said on Fox & Friends Monday that Schiff is wasting taxpayer money on impeachment and ignoring the rapidly growing homelessness problem in his district.
Barbosa argued that Schiff has not passed any legislation since 2012. With regard to California’s homelessness dilemma, while he has lent nominal support to others’ initiatives, Schiff has not put forward any proposals of his own, she asserted.
“Adam Schiff has been my congressman since 2012. He became my congressman through the redistricting process,” she said. “Since he became my congressman he has not presented any legislation that’s become law. In terms of homelessness, what he’s done is he’s basically rubber-stamped Maxine Waters’ bill to deal with homelessness, and her bill essentially replicated the same failed policies that [L.A.] Mayor [Eric] Garcetti has implemented in our city over the past few years.”
Barbosa said she doesn’t agree with allocating $500,000 or more per unit for housing for the homeless and instead believes a renewed focus on mental health services for homeless populations is a better use of resources. Homelessness has reportedly surged 12% in Schiff’s district in just the last year, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Taking Schiff to task
Barbosa took to Twitter in early November to contrast her objectives with the actions of Schiff.
When in U.S. Congress in @AdamSchiff’s place, I promise to NOT commence $70 million doomed-to-fail Impeachment Hearings less than 1 year before a Presidential Election or 3 weeks before a November 21 government shutdown.
That’s not what representatives are elected or paid to do. pic.twitter.com/S2hFI8XW7V— Barbosa for Congress (@TeamJenBarbosa) November 6, 2019
“Seeing the impeachment inquiry, when he’s wasting all these resources — we know that Ken Starr’s impeachment cost about $70 million,” she said in the Fox & Friends interview.
“That’s $70 million that really could be spent on much better things in our district,” she added.
Schiff appeared on CNN Sunday and claimed Democrats have an “ironclad” case against President Donald Trump for impeachment. When asked directly whether the House would hold an impeachment vote, however, Schiff refused to give an answer.
Impeachment uncertainty
“I want to discuss this with my constituents and my colleagues before I make a final judgment on it,” Schiff told host Jake Tapper. “But there are a couple of really important things we need to think about.”
Recent polls have shown flagging support for impeachment, especially among independents. Those results suggest that at least some of Schiff’s constituents may ultimately tell him that he should drop impeachment and actually do something about homelessness and a host of other issues that actually impact their daily lives.
Eventually, Schiff and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will have to either hold a vote or admit that they don’t have any real evidence against Trump. With uncertainty beginning to set in among moderate Democrats in vulnerable districts, it is becoming clear that many are starting to view impeachment as a political loser in advance of 2020.
If impeachment goes down in flames, Schiff needs to go down with it.
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