Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that California Democrat Adam B. Schiff will be the next ranking member on the Intelligence Committee, Roll Call reports.  

“As a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, Congressman Schiff has been a vital voice on the most pressing national security challenges of our time, including counter terrorism efforts and challenges in the Middle East,” Pelosi said in a statement. “He has proven himself to be a capable leader and a proponent of surveillance reforms.”  

Pelosi said Schiff who has previously served on the Foreign Affairs Committee, the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Committee and the Intelligence panel — had “impeccable national security credentials.”  

Schiff, who has been on the Intelligence panel since 2008, is widely seen as a more critical watchdog of the National Security Agency. The former ranking Democrat, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, was a staunch supporter of the NSA, which has its headquarters in his Maryland district.