Adam Schiff

“Among those of us in the freshman class, there is a great deal of optimism that we are going to be able to work together in a bipartisan way.”

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Name: Adam Schiff

Age: 40

Home: Burbank

Profession: Congressman-elect

Latest accomplishment: A former federal prosecutor, Schiff served four years as a state senator until this month. He was elected Nov. 7 to the 27th Congressional District, unseating Republican incumbent James Rogan despite the fact that Rogan outspent him 2 to 1 in one of the most expensive House races in U.S. history. Schiff had to overcome the fact that Republicans nationally rallied around Rogan because of his high-profile role as a House prosecutor in the Clinton impeachment hearings.

Goals for 2001: After taking the oath of office in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, Schiff plans to push for legislation that would provide affordable prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients, a patients’ bill of rights that would allow patients to appeal denial of treatment by insurance companies and allow medical professionals to make decisions on treatment and coverage. Schiff will also push for passage of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill that that would eliminate loopholes allowing political parties to receive vast amounts of “soft money” not subject to campaign contribution limits, and to spend them in ways that can influence congressional races. He also has vowed to pursue measures to improve public education, including federal legislation that would help local school districts reduce class sizes, recruit and retain teachers and build new schools.