[ [link removed] ]Adam Schiff for Congress




John,

Over the next few weeks, you’re going to probably hear from me a little
less. That’s because I’m going to be hard at work in the nation’s Capitol.

But I wanted to take a moment to tell you how I’ve prepared for big
hearings and big moments during my time in Congress.

You might remember a few years ago when I was in the middle of impeachment
hearings for President Donald Trump. Well, I wanted to take you inside
what it’s like.

Every Member prepares differently, but I start by reviewing the evidence.
That means reading transcripts of interviews and depositions — often
hundreds or thousands of pages — watching video evidence, listening to
recordings, and reviewing exhibits. I look up prior hearings and see how
others have conducted them, which were successful, and try to figure out
why. Getting ready for the first impeachment, I read the entire record of
the Clinton trial and watched key segments, like that of former Senator
Dale Bumpers. I often hunker down late at night — just me and my iPad by
the fireplace — even on nights when it's too hot to use it.

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My next step is to outline. What are my objectives? What evidence am I
hoping to highlight? What moments are most important for the public to
see?

And then, I write. I write a lot. While most Members have their staff
draft their lines of questioning or opening statements, I try to write my
own. And while the staff are the unsung heroes of hearings — and do
amazing amounts of work — I think it’s important to write and speak in my
own voice. That’s what people expect.

After all of that, I prepare with staff. Again, a lot. We do mock
hearings. We change lines of questioning. We go over the videos and
evidence. And then do it again. And again.

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Finally, I take a step back and evaluate it all together. Will what we are
going to present resonate with the American people? Are they going to
truly care? Is it going to reach people who, on the natural don’t tend to
agree with me, or will it only preach to the choir?

Then, when the hearing begins, I set all that preparation aside and listen
to what the witnesses have to say, looking for something unique, a new
insight that I can draw upon in follow-up questions. I try not to be so
wedded to a script that I miss what is truly important. You would be
surprised how often that happens.

The end result can be magical, and it can also go awry. It’s fraught and
takes a careful hand.

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It’s long and arduous work. But it’s worth it. Because hopefully, the end
result is something that really connects with the American people, and is
deeply meaningful.

So, as I begin a busy month in DC, I hope that I can continue to convince
people of the same things that I have always thought were important: That
what is right still matters. That the truth matters. And that decency
matters.

Because it does. And it always will.

— Adam




150 E. Olive Ave., Suite 208 Burbank CA, 91502

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