“I know from talking to farmers, they would much rather not have the support. They’d rather be able to farm and sell and trade; but if they can’t then they want to make sure that if there is help, it’s available to them as well as anyone else.”
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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) recently sat down with The Bakersfield Californian’s Peter Segall for a conversation on the harmful impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, immigration, and federal cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In the interview, Schiff highlighted the need to support California farmers that are hurting as a result of President Trump’s policies. He also discussed the need for Democrats to present a positive agenda that meets the needs of working families across the country on issues like housing.
Schiff is the first California Senator to serve on the Agriculture Committee in over 30 years. Since he was sworn in as Senator, Schiff has visited agricultural communities across California to ensure he is meeting the needs of all Californians.
Key Excerpts:
On California farmers’ concerns on tariffs and federal cuts:
President Trump’s tariff proposals have left many on edge with worries about impacts to Kern County’s export-heavy agriculture sector. During Trump’s first administration, certain farmers were compensated for losses caused by tariffs, but farmers of specialty crops such as nuts and grapes weren’t eligible.
Schiff said if a similar relief package is proposed this time, he’ll work to ensure specialty crop farmers are included.
“I know from talking to farmers, they would much rather not have the support. They’d rather be able to farm and sell and trade; but if they can’t then they want to make sure that if there is help, it’s available to them as well as anyone else,” Schiff said.
Alongside concerns about tariffs, Schiff said he heard worries from farmers and communities about cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The loss of agriculture researchers who are studying how we can make our crops more resilient to pests and infestation, as well as cuts to programs where small farms are supplying food to our schools and to local food banks,” are among the concerns, he said.
On Congress’ growing resistance to Trump’s reckless tariffs:
Schiff said he thinks resistance against the president’s tariffs may be growing in Congress. He pointed to a recent effort in the Senate that would have lifted the national emergency declaration Trump has used to justify his tariffs.
That vote failed 49-49, and Vice President JD Vance had to give the tiebreaking vote. The vote was split largely along party lines, but several Republican lawmakers voted against the rest of their party.
[…]
“The bipartisan nature of the support for ending the tariffs certainly got the attention of the White House,” Schiff said. “In fact, without the vice president’s intervention, the measure would’ve passed, and we would be one step closer to ending this self-destructive tariff.”
On the need for Democrats to carry out a positive agenda for working families:
“By what we have seen over the last 100 days, I think it’s really important for the Democratic Party to put forward a positive agenda,” Schiff said. “It’s not enough to rely on the president’s mistakes or the economic harms of the tariff policy. We need to have our own, forward, positive agenda that we’re offering.”
Housing is an area Schiff said he’d like to see Democrats champion.
“In the same way that Eisenhower was the president known for building our roads and our highway infrastructure around the country, I’d like to see the Democratic Party known for building homes around the country, making them affordable, addressing homelessness,” Schiff said.
Bills to make it easier to build housing in California are working their way through the state Legislature, but Democrats are divided over how to proceed.
“In order to do that we have to become the party that knows how to get stuff done,” Schiff said. “(The party) that knows how to cut through the red tape and the bureaucracy to get approvals made quickly, the party to get stuff done and the party of good economic management.”
The Bakersfield Californian: Schiff: Tariffs, immigration cause concern in ag communities
In the five months since being sworn in as California’s junior senator, Adam Schiff said concerns about tariffs and immigration enforcement have dominated conversation during visits to rural areas.
“I think there’s growing concern about retaliatory tariffs targeting agriculture,” Schiff said. “The loss of markets already in Canada, where, in addition to the tariff challenges, you have Canadians essentially boycotting American goods.”
Speaking to The Californian this week, Schiff said he’s heard repeated concern about tariffs, immigration and the cost of living.
Previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Los Angeles, Schiff is now representing the entire state and in his first months as senator has been traveling across California.
Schiff visited Kern County in February and has since paid visits to the Imperial Valley, Chico and Shasta County to hear from agricultural communities.
President Trump’s tariff proposals have left many on edge with worries about impacts to Kern County’s export-heavy agriculture sector. During Trump’s first administration, certain farmers were compensated for losses caused by tariffs, but farmers of specialty crops such as nuts and grapes weren’t eligible.
Schiff said if a similar relief package is proposed this time, he’ll work to ensure specialty crop farmers are included.
“I know from talking to farmers, they would much rather not have the support. They’d rather be able to farm and sell and trade; but if they can’t then they want to make sure that if there is help, it’s available to them as well as anyone else,” Schiff said.
Alongside concerns about tariffs, Schiff said he heard worries from farmers and communities about cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The loss of agriculture researchers who are studying how we can make our crops more resilient to pests and infestation, as well as cuts to programs where small farms are supplying food to our schools and to local food banks,” are among the concerns, he said.
Reuters News Agency reported last month that agricultural research and other programs at the University of California Davis and other land-grant universities had been paused amid litigation over proposed cuts to USDA and the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID.
But Schiff said he thinks resistance against the president’s tariffs may be growing in Congress. He pointed to a recent effort in the Senate that would have lifted the national emergency declaration Trump has used to justify his tariffs.
That vote failed 49-49, and Vice President JD Vance had to give the tiebreaking vote. The vote was split largely along party lines, but several Republican lawmakers voted against the rest of their party.
Furthermore, some members — Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — were absent for the vote despite having signaled support for it in the past.
According to the New York Times, the president has vowed to veto any such legislation and House Republican leadership has opposed the measure, but Schiff said it signaled growing resistance to the tariffs.
“The bipartisan nature of the support for ending the tariffs certainly got the attention of the White House,” Schiff said. “In fact, without the vice president’s intervention, the measure would’ve passed, and we would be one step closer to ending this self-destructive tariff.”
The senator said he also heard concerns about immigration enforcement, and the kinds of raids conducted by federal agents. But there was little Democrats were able to do legislatively to stop those actions, Schiff said, and litigation was the most effective deterrent.
“There’s not much we can do legislatively, but I think calling attention to the harm that the indiscriminate seizure of people off the street helps to temper, I think, what would be even worse otherwise,” he said.
Congressional Democrats are in a difficult place. With minorities in both houses there’s little they can do to advance their own priorities or push back against the administration’s.
Voters have expressed frustration with party leadership, particularly Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. But Schiff sees energy in the party even amid deep concerns about the direction of the country.
“By what we have seen over the last 100 days, I think it’s really important for the Democratic Party to put forward a positive agenda,” Schiff said. “It’s not enough to rely on the president’s mistakes or the economic harms of the tariff policy. We need to have our own, forward, positive agenda that we’re offering.”
Housing is an area Schiff said he’d like to see Democrats champion.
“In the same way that Eisenhower was the president known for building our roads and our highway infrastructure around the country, I’d like to see the Democratic Party known for building homes around the country, making them affordable, addressing homelessness,” Schiff said.
Bills to make it easier to build housing in California are working their way through the state Legislature, but Democrats are divided over how to proceed.
“In order to do that we have to become the party that knows how to get stuff done,” Schiff said. “(The party) that knows how to cut through the red tape and the bureaucracy to get approvals made quickly, the party to get stuff done and the party of good economic management.”
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