According to The Washington Post, the California Democrat who rose to national prominence as a manager of former President Donald Trump's first impeachment is maneuvering behind the scenes to possibly succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader.
Pelosi, who has led the Democratic caucus in the lower chamber since 2003 and served as speaker from 2007 to 2011 before regaining the speaker's gavel in 2019, is running for reelection this fall but has not committed to remaining in leadership after this year.
Several members of Congress confirmed the leadership push.
A contest to succeed Pelosi that was likely to include Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who has been seen as a natural successor to the speaker, would be altered if Schiff was able to make inroads among a large group of members.
Many of the body's younger members are primed to opt for a wholesale change after Pelosi and Clyburn, who are all in their 80s, have served as the face of House Democratic leadership since Bush was in the White House.
Jeffries is one of the rising stars within the Democratic caucus.
According to the report, the congressman has begun speaking to members from his home state of California to see if he could mount a successful campaign.
The Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus are some of the key parts of the caucus.
The lawmaker has consulted with members of the Progressive Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition.
According to a group of lawmakers who spoke with The Post, some members doubted that Schiff could win a leadership race.
Jeffries, a 51-year-old Black lawmaker from Brooklyn who has served as chair of the House Democratic caucus since 2019, has endeared himself within many elements of the caucus and would be difficult to defeat in a leadership vote.
California members told The Post that they thought it would be difficult because of Hakeem's lead.
The California Democratic delegation wields enormous power as it relates to the party's agenda and support for Schiff has not been strong.
"I've been with Jeffries for a long time and think highly of him," said a California member. I'm in an awkward place because of this.
No lawmaker who spoke with The Post said they would back him, but almost all of them said he deserved an important role in the party.
The congressman is focused on supporting Democrats this fall, according to his spokeswoman.
She told the newspaper that the chairman was doing everything he could to support vulnerable Democratic colleagues and promising challengers so that the Democrats could retain their majority.
Republicans are hoping to flip control of the House later this year due to President Joe Biden's low approval ratings and concerns about inflation.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California said he would remove the Democratic lawmaker from the Intelligence committee if Republicans regained control of the lower chamber after the elections.
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