Senator Adam Schiff didn’t pull punches during his appearance on California Politics 360, laying into what he sees as a lopsided Iran peace agreement, federal attacks on California’s air quality standards, and what he characterizes as the weaponization of the Justice Department against political opponents—including Governor Gavin Newsom.
On the recently signed U.S.-Iran peace agreement, Schiff was blunt: the deal amounts to capitulation. Iran receives $24 billion in unfrozen assets, a $300 billion reconstruction fund, relaxed sanctions, and the ability to export oil and use global financial institutions. In return, the U.S. gets a single paragraph reaffirming Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons—a pledge that isn’t new and whose enforceability remains questionable.“It’s a total and complete capitulation by the administration,”Schiff said, noting that even Republicans are alarmed by the terms. The senator warned that some provisions—like the possibility of Iran charging tolls for passage through the Strait after 60 days—represent concessions Americans have never made before.
The conversation then pivoted to a more personal territory: the Justice Department’s investigations into Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife. As someone who’s been on the Trump administration’s radar since leading the former president’s impeachment and serving on the January 6th committee, Schiff brought firsthand experience to the subject. He argued that when a president publicly calls for investigations into political opponents, there should be a“presumption of irregularity”rather than a presumption of good faith. That’s a stark departure from his days as a federal prosecutor, when the opposite presumption held sway. The investigations into Newsom merit scrutiny, he suggested, especially given examples like the indictment of James Comey over seashells—a case Schiff expects will be thrown out—and efforts to prosecute his colleagues over a video about military law.
Clean air policy also drew Schiff’s ire. The EPA recently transmitted four of California’s clean air waivers to Congress, potentially opening the door to repealing emissions standards that limit tailpipe pollution. Schiff framed this as a choice between public health and corporate profits. Stricter standards, he argued, won’t increase gas prices; if anything, killing electric vehicle regulations could reduce EV adoption and increase demand for oil, pushing prices up. Meanwhile, the administration is simultaneously pushing oil projects like the Sable pipeline while killing renewable energy initiatives—despite renewable energy now being cheaper than oil. It’s a win for oil companies posting record profits, many of whom export their product overseas. California residents get the environmental costs and none of the benefit.
In lighter territory, Schiff discussed his agricultural agenda. As the first California senator on the Agriculture Committee in 30 years—the last being Pete Wilson—he’s introduced bipartisan bills to help farmers sell fresh produce to food banks and invest in equipment and technology. The reception has been warm, particularly in farm country where multi-generational families see him as finally having a senator who understands their livelihood and fights for federal disaster relief at parity with farmers in other regions.
What emerges from the interview is a portrait of a senator who sees interconnected threats: foreign policy decisions that weaken America’s standing, attacks on environmental protections that harm public health, and what he views as a dangerous erosion of Justice Department independence. Yet he’s also invested in the granular work of agricultural policy—the kind of issue that rarely makes national news but shapes the lives of families who’ve worked California’s land for generations.]
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Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
