Adam B. Schiff

WATCH: Trump’s Weakness is “Breathtaking”; Sen. Schiff Breaks Down Trump’s Ineffective Negotiations to End Illegal Iran War

Position: Senator Schiff opposes the Trump administration's military action in Iran, characterizing it as an illegal war conducted incompetently and without consideration of consequences. He argues the administration's negotiation efforts are ineffective and have weakened the U.S. position relative to Iran.

Schiff:“…This regime is emerging more powerful, at least it feels it's more powerful, more entrenched, more hard line, more of a threat to its own people. It's the result of entering a war without thinking about the consequences and conducting it incompetently. And the fundamental weakness of this president.” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined MS NOW’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell to break down President Trump’s ineffective negotiations aimed at ending his illegal Iran war. Last week, Senator Schiff led the sixth War Powers Resolution aimed at requiring the administration to end this illegal war. The procedural vote would have brought Senator Schiff’s resolution up for Senate consideration on the 60-day mark after the administration’s notification to Congress, coinciding with the War Powers Act’s statutory clock running out. On Americans paying the price of the Iran war: […] But Iran now feels empowered. It feels like the clock is ticking on its side. It feels the president is desperate for a deal. You hear the president talking about a deal basically, that sounds a lot like the deal that Barack Obama struck that he so ridiculed. And he wishes to distinguish it somehow by saying, no. No, this deal will be different, because this deal, in this deal, Iran promises not to develop a bomb. Well, I guess, I guess that's really something we can now rely on. Iran's word. So, we are just saying, as you said, the president having trapped himself growing weaker and weaker, and sadly, he has also trapped the country. And we're paying for it. Prices are now 50% higher at the pump, and Donald Trump said today that if they went up another 50% and were paying double that, it would be worth it. Well, I don't think the American people feel this is worth it at all. On the weakness of President Trump: […] And unfortunately, even if we went back to the JCPOA, Iran now feels that it has the leverage, because it can shut down the strait, and any threat that it might shut down the strait. For example, if it doesn't abide by any deal struck with President Trump in the future, and the president threatens to snap back sanctions. Which is basically the same mechanism as under the Obama JCPOA. Iran can threaten, well, if you snap back sanctions, we're going to close the strait. And that now is a powerful threat that really wasn't the case before this ill-considered and unlawful war. So tragically, I think this regime is emerging more powerful, at least it feels it's more powerful, more entrenched, more hard line, more of a threat to its own people. It's the result of entering a war without thinking about the consequences and conducting it incompetently. And the fundamental weakness of this president.

NEWS: Sen. Schiff, Rep. Carbajal, Local Leaders Call Out Trump Administration’s Attempts to Restart Offshore Oil Operations on Central Coast

Position: Senator Schiff and Representative Carbajal oppose the Trump Administration's efforts to restart offshore oil operations on the Central Coast, citing environmental risks, economic costs, and the need to transition to renewable energy sources.

Santa Barbara, CA – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24) joined local Central Coast environmental leaders to rally against the Trump Administration’s attempt to restart offshore oil platforms owned by Sable Offshore Corporation, which uses the same infrastructure that caused the disastrous oil spill off Refugio State Beach in 2015. Schiff raised the alarm on the impacts of the Refugio spill which caused devastation on marine ecosystems and coastal communities as well as extensive costs for environmental clean-up. During the press conference, Schiff emphasized that allowing Sable Offshore Corporation, which has blatantly disobeyed directives from California agencies that are required for offshore oil and pipeline operations, to continue forward with this plan has the potential for extreme devastation. He also highlighted the work he’s doing in the Senate to preserve and protect California’s coastlines and ecosystems. “It's just a thrill to breathe in the ocean air, to enjoy this incredible beauty around us, and to think that it is now being threatened again by reopening this damaged pipeline. That caused such damage in 2015, resulting in $22 million of losses, but more importantly, the loss of marine life, the loss of the coastal economy here, the injury to small businesses. And for what are we going to risk that,” said Senator Schiff. “This is really a national issue. And I think moving off of fossil fuels and moving to renewable sources of energy is an environmental imperative. It is a health imperative. It's an economic imperative. It is a national security imperative,” the Senator continued. Senator Schiff has been a strong opponent of restarting oil drilling off the California coast and has advocated for renewable energy sources to strengthen environmental protections. He published an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times strongly opposing Sable Offshore Corporation’s attempts to restart oil drilling operations. Additionally, Schiff and Rep. Carbajal wrote to Governor Gavin Newsom raising concerns about the potential restart of offshore oil drilling operations along California’s Gaviota Coast by Sable Offshore Corp, and demanded answers from the Trump administration on its involvement in Sable Offshore Corporation’s attempts to restart offshore oil drilling using the same pipelines that caused the Refugio State Beach oil spill of 2015.

PHOTOS: Sen. Schiff Tours Catalina Island Conservancy, Highlights Continued Efforts to Preserve and Sustain California’s Natural Ecosystems

Position: Senator Schiff supports conservation efforts to protect California ecosystems, restore habitats, prevent wildfires, and expand access to natural resources through legislation and National Park Service partnerships.

Santa Catalina, CA – This week, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) visited the Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC), an organization founded to protect and restore Santa Catalina Island. During the visit, Schiff discussed his support for the CIC’s conservation programs and their efforts to protect Catalina Island. Schiff toured the Whites Restoration Area, a conservation and education center where the Conservancy explained their ongoing efforts to clear invasive species and replace them with native plant species to support fire resiliency and ecosystem health. Schiff also hiked around Catalina and highlighted the actions he has taken to conserve and protect the native land through legislation that backs conservation efforts, habitat restoration and wildfire prevention. As a member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, Senator Schiff has championed conservation efforts to protect California ecosystems and mitigate wildfire risks. The senator has introduced legislation that would protect some of the last wild and open spaces in the Los Angeles area and allow the National Park Service to work with local communities to better protect natural resources and improve access to nature. Schiff has also led legislation to create a disaster resilience tax credit for Americans to protect their homes form natural disasters through fire and flood management upgrades. View photos from the visit below:

NEWS: Sen. Schiff Outlines Farm Bill Priorities for California

Position: Senator Schiff outlines priorities for the 2026 Farm Bill, including strengthening nutrition programs, supporting specialty crop producers, protecting California's Proposition 12 animal welfare standards, and restoring humane immigration policies for farmworkers.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released an outline of his priorities for the 2026 Farm Bill following the recent passage of a Farm Bill by the U.S. House of Representatives. As the first U.S. Senator from California to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in over 30 years, Senator Schiff is advocating for a Farm Bill and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that reflects economic opportunity, health, sustainability, national security, and prosperity. He is also reiterating his opposition to a Farm Bill that includes language that would preempt California state law like Proposition 12. “It’s time for a Farm Bill that addresses the mounting challenges that farmers, farmworkers, and rural communities are facing. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’ll be pushing for a bill that that restores and strengthens nutrition programs, empowers California’s specialty crop producers, supports research investments, and provides farmers with increased opportunities to succeed in their businesses. Congress also needs to protect Proposition 12 and return to humane immigration policies for our farmworkers. I look forward to advocating for these priorities to bring the relief that California’s agricultural producers and families need,” said Senator Schiff. Senator Schiff’s priorities for the next Farm Bill can be viewed here and below: In the coming weeks and months, Senator Schiff intends to introduce legislation for consideration in the Farm Bill that spans a number of topics: improved mechanization of specialty crops, enhanced fruit and vegetable procurement in federal food programs, increased nutrition incentives, artificial intelligence and innovation in agriculture, regional food systems development, organic agriculture, and more. During the first year of the Senator’s term on the Senate Agriculture Committee, he has advocated for Californian and American farmers in various ways, such as:

NEWS: Sen. Schiff, Bay Area Lawmakers Urge Trump Admin to Release Funding for San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge Complex

Position: Senator Schiff and Bay Area lawmakers urge the Trump administration to release $70 million in congressionally appropriated disaster relief funds for the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex to address winter storm damage and prevent flooding.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and five Bay Area lawmakers urged the Trump administration to release millions of dollars of Congressionally approved funds for San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which have been subject to bureaucratic delay at the U.S. Department of Interior. The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an important part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and in December 2022 and January 2023 experienced severe winter storm damage to its berms, levees, and pump stations that are critical to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s ability to protect Bay Area communities from flooding and manage and restore natural habitats. The lawmakers expressed deep concern that the Complex has yet to receive the full $70 million allocated to them as a part of the 2025 American Relief Act, funding that is crucial to addressing winter storm damage and preventing future flooding in Northern California. “We understand that most of these funds have not been released to the Refuge Complex. Further, we understand that the Department of the Interior is requiring any expense action over $50,000 to be approved by various Assistant Secretaries within the Department. This bureaucratic delay is unnecessary and inefficient, especially for dollars that were appropriated by Congress for major disasters three years ago,” the lawmakers wrote. “We urgently request that you release these funds Congress has appropriated to the Complex to address storm damage and emergency repairs, protect adjacent communities and highways from flooding, and protect important Silicon Valley communities,” the lawmakers continued. In addition to Schiff this letter is also signed by U.S. House of Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif-17), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif-15), Jared Huffman (D-Calif-02), and Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.-16). The full text of the letter can be found here and below: We are writing to inquire about the status of $70 million in disaster funds included in the 2025 American Relief Act to address winter storm damage within the San Francisco Bay Refuge Complex, an important part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Complex (Complex) includes seven National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, the first urban NWR in the nation, is part of this Complex. A century and a half of urban development, pollution, and habitat destruction depleted bay habitat, eliminating more than 90 percent of shoreline wetlands and 40 percent of the bay aquatic ecosystem. This NWR Complex has restored over 30,000 acres of habitat, helping to protect migratory birds and recover endangered species. In December 2022 and January 2023, the Complex experienced severe winter storm damage. The storms were declared a major disaster and damage was assessed by FWS Engineers in 2023. The storms damaged berms and levees that are critical to FWS’s ability to manage and restore habitats and protect adjacent communities from flooding. Disaster funds would help repair these berms and levees as well as Sears Point pump stations 1 and 2, which currently protect Highway 37 from flooding. These berms and levees prevent bay waters from inundating Silicon Valley. We understand that most of these funds have not been released to the Refuge Complex. Further, we understand that the Department of the Interior is requiring any expense action over $50,000 to be approved by various Assistant Secretaries within the Department. This bureaucratic delay is unnecessary and inefficient, especially for dollars that were appropriated by Congress for major disasters three years ago. We urgently request that you release these funds Congress has appropriated to the Complex to address storm damage and emergency repairs, protect adjacent communities and highways from flooding, and protect important Silicon Valley communities. We appreciate a timely response advising us about the release of these emergency funds.

PHOTOS: Sen. Schiff Visits San Bernardino Valley College, Joins Student Roundtable and Highlights Federal Investments Secured for California

San Bernardino, CA – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) attended a student roundtable at San Bernardino Valley College, where students from local colleges shared the main issues at the forefront of their minds. During the roundtable, Schiff discussed ongoing efforts in Congress to bring down the cost of living and what he’s doing to support students and educators amid federal funding cuts from the Trump administration. Schiff also highlighted that he secured more than $254 million in federal funding for California for the 2026 fiscal year, including more than $1 million for CSU San Bernardino’s establishment of an AI and Virtual Reality Research and Retraining Center that will support technology acquisition, facility upgrades, and the creation of an AI retraining platform, among other projects for the Inland Empire. Attendees at the roundtable included students from San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills Community College, Cal State San Bernardino, and UC Riverside. View photos from the visit below:

PHOTOS: Sen. Schiff Visits Joshua Basin Water District, Pushes Greater Investments in Water Infrastructure

Position: Senator Schiff advocates for increased federal investment in drinking water infrastructure through mechanisms such as the State Revolving Fund and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to support California water systems and address water quality challenges.

Joshua Tree, CA –U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) toured the Joshua Basin Water District, which delivers 600 million gallons of high-quality water each year from the groundwater basin to Californians and industries in the region. As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works’ Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, Schiff highlighted his continuous push for greater investments in drinking water infrastructure through federal financial support in the State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), and that he is working to keep momentum for increased funding for California water systems. During the tour, Schiff spoke with stakeholders about the ongoing costs associated with remediation efforts and mandated reporting of Hexavalent Chromium (chromium-6), a highly toxic and carcinogenic metallic element. The water district is working to implement new, important technology for water treatment at each of their well sites to mitigate the risks of hexavalent chromium. View photos from the Senator’s visit below:

NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Padilla Join Bennet and Colleagues Demanding Trump Administration Resume Russian Oil Sanctions

Position: The senators urge the Trump Administration to resume sanctions on Russian oil and take additional steps to limit Russia's windfall profits from elevated energy prices, arguing these measures are necessary to deprive Putin of revenue for his war against Ukraine.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif) joined Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and 12 of their Senate colleagues in urging Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to fully resume sanctions on Russian oil and use every available tool to cut into Russia’s war windfall profits. In their letter, the Senators note that these steps are crucial to depriving Russian President Vladimir Putin of the revenue he needs to continue waging his war of aggression against Ukraine. Additionally, they point out that pausing these sanctions has not and will not noticeably bring down domestic energy prices – which are spiking because of President Donald Trump’s reckless war with Iran. Schiff, Padilla, and Bennet were joined on this letter by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Andy Kim (D.-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). “We urge the Trump Administration to resume the Russia oil sanctions your Department recently paused by issuing and then extending a General License on deliveries of Russian oil. We also urge the Administration and your Department to take immediate, additional steps to limit the windfall profits Russia and its intermediaries continue to earn due to elevated energy prices stemming from President Trump’s unauthorized war with Iran. These steps are crucial to depriving Russian President Vladimir Putin of the revenue he needs to continue waging his war of aggression against Ukraine,” began the Senators. “Despite warnings from U.S. government and outside experts, the Trump Administration failed to anticipate or plan for the likelihood that an open-ended war with Iran would spike global energy prices – especially if Iran were to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas transits,” the Senators wrote. “The President’s self-made global energy crisis has predictably increased average national gasoline prices by over 85 cents a gallon and also raised the price of Russian oil, risking the replenishment of funding for Putin’s war machine. Putin has openly spoken of using the crisis to reestablish export markets for Russian oil. Estimates suggest that Russia’s oil revenue has doubled in April.” “You described the Administration’s sanctions pause as necessary while noting it was ‘unfortunate’ that Russia stood to benefit financially from the decision. Pausing these sanctions has had and will continue to have, at best, a limited effect on domestic gasoline costs or global oil prices, which remain elevated. Doing so instead removed the stigma that had been driving discounted prices for Russian oil and allowed Russia to sell or resell cargoes to buyers now willing to pay higher prices – giving Putin a financial boon to ease the budgetary challenges resulting from his war on Ukraine. This provides additional funding to the Kremlin and its oil traders even as reports indicate that Russia has helped Iran target Americans,” they continued. “Continuing to pause these sanctions is a mistake that President Trump must reverse immediately. In addition, he must use every tool at his disposal to cut into Russia’s war windfall profits, instead of enabling their additional revenue. He has options that he can and must use to reimpose the stigma on and dissuade purchases of Russian oil,” the Senators urged. “Failure to put more pressure on the Kremlin – particularly as the Trump Administration pulls resources necessary to deter Russia and China away from those theaters into the Middle East – would embolden Putin to continue waging his war against Ukraine, aiding Iran’s attacks on U.S. troops, and threatening our NATO allies,” concluded the Senators. The text of the letter is available here and below: We urge the Trump Administration to resume the Russia oil sanctions your Department recently paused by issuing and then extending a General License on deliveries of Russian oil. We also urge the Administration and your Department to take immediate, additional steps to limit the windfall profits Russia and its intermediaries continue to earn due to elevated energy prices stemming from President Trump’s unauthorized war with Iran. These steps are crucial to depriving Russian President Vladimir Putin of the revenue he needs to continue waging his war of aggression against Ukraine. Before President Trump launched his war with Iran, Russia was suffering battlefield losses and facing financial pressures due to declining global oil prices and fewer buyers willing to purchase Russian oil. Reports from before the Iran war indicated that Russia lost oil and gas revenue in 2024 and 2025. Russia was reportedly struggling to sustain its ever-growing military spending with these declining revenues. Russia continues evading existing sanctions and other measures through numerous front companies, traders, and “shadow fleet” vessels. Yet the Trump Administration has halted regular counter-evasion sanctions for 14 months now, an unprecedented pause. U.S. allies and partners, however, continue to act against hundreds of vessels and entities in Russia’s oil sales ecosystem. The European Union also banned imports of refined oil products derived from Russian crude oil, an action that India’s largest oil refiner cited when the firm began reducing its crude imports from Russia. Despite warnings from U.S. government and outside experts, the Trump Administration failed to anticipate or plan for the likelihood that an open-ended war with Iran would spike global energy prices – especially if Iran were to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas transits. The President’s self-made global energy crisis has predictably increased average national gasoline prices by over 85 cents a gallon and also raised the price of Russian oil, risking the replenishment of funding for Putin’s war machine. Putin has openly spoken of using the crisis to reestablish export markets for Russian oil. Estimates suggest that Russia’s oil revenue has doubled in April. President Trump has failed to develop approaches to limit Russia’s windfall. Instead, he has responded to recent oil price increases with the reckless decision, in March 2026, to temporarily lift some sanctions on Russian oil, allowing the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products already at sea. This move, a licensing action affecting large quantities of Russia’s most important export, flies in the face of a requirement under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to notify Congress 30 days before taking such an action. The Senate overwhelmingly passed CAATSA, which President Trump signed into law in 2017. You described the Administration’s sanctions pause as necessary while noting it was “unfortunate” that Russia stood to benefit financially from the decision. Pausing these sanctions has had and will continue to have, at best, a limited effect on domestic gasoline costs or global oil prices, which remain elevated. Doing so instead removed the stigma that had been driving discounted prices for Russian oil and allowed Russia to sell or resell cargoes to buyers now willing to pay higher prices – giving Putin a financial boon to ease the budgetary challenges resulting from his war on Ukraine. This provides additional funding to the Kremlin and its oil traders even as reports indicate that Russia has helped Iran target Americans. Your Department described the sanctions pause as a temporary tool. When the initial sanctions pause expired after 30 days, you stated publicly that the Administration would not seek further extension. Despite this, just days later in late April, the Administration extended the pause for another 30-day period without explanation on the reversal of policy. Yet the Trump Administration did not just extend its March sanctions pause, which allowed for the sale of oil already at sea as of mid-March. The renewal now also allows the sale of oil on ships that had been loaded as of mid-April. This rewarded Putin’s enablers who loaded oil after the Trump Administration issued the initial pause – betting correctly that this Administration would give them another payday in a misguided attempt to address the consequences of President Trump’s reckless war. Now, the private sector likely believes that the Trump Administration will continue extending this broad license. Continuing to pause these sanctions is a mistake that President Trump must reverse immediately. In addition, he must use every tool at his disposal to cut into Russia’s war windfall profits, instead of enabling their additional revenue. He has options that he can and must use to reimpose the stigma on and dissuade purchases of Russian oil. Now is the time to strengthen, not weaken, enforcement of restrictions on Russia’s oil and gas revenues. Yet as Congress has repeatedly raised, the Trump Administration has paused all Russia counter-evasion sanctions, including on those entities circumventing sanctions that the Administration itself imposed on Rosneft and Lukoil, for more than a year now. Failure to put more pressure on the Kremlin – particularly as the Trump Administration pulls resources necessary to deter Russia and China away from those theaters into the Middle East – would embolden Putin to continue waging his war against Ukraine, aiding Iran’s attacks on U.S. troops, and threatening our NATO allies.