Tariff-Based Farm Aid
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. President
Trump says he’s open to offering more tariff-based farm aid but stressed the importance of opening new ag markets instead …
TRUMP … “We’re going to make the farmers so strong, and I’m not even talking about financially, they just want to be able to produce what they can produce.”
And as for using $11 or $12 Billion in tariff revenue now to bridge farmers into next year and improved price support levels …
TRUMP … “This money would not be possible without tariffs. The tariffs are taking in hundreds of Billions of dollars and we’re giving some up to the farmers, because they were mistreated by other countries.”
But the Supreme Court could overturn those tariffs, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune was asked about that …
THUNE … “To me, it makes all the sense in the world, that if you’ve got a lot of revenue coming in from tariffs, and you need sort of a bridge for farmers. A lot of the changes that we made last summer in the reconciliation bill don’t take effect until next year…and the farmers and the safety net programs will benefit from those. In the meantime, to have something that benefits them bridge that time when they’ve had this loss of markets.”
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins stressed the goal of freeing farmers from ad hoc emergency aid …
ROLLINS … “Instead of farming for government checks, they can farm to feed their family and sell their products and pass it on to the next generation.”
Rollins says this bridge is absolutely necessary, based on where we are.
