WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration announced Tuesday it will provide $12 billion in emergency relief to ease the pain of American farmers slammed by President Donald Trumps escalating trade disputes with China and other countries.
However, some farm-state Republicans quickly dismissed the plan, declaring that farmers want markets for their crops, not payoffs for lost sales and lower prices.
The Agriculture Department said it would tap an existing program to provide billions in direct payments to farmers and ranchers hurt by foreign retaliation to Trumps tariffs.
With congressional elections coming soon, the government action underscored administration concern about damage to U.S. farmers from Trumps trade tariffs and the potential for losing House and Senate seats in the Midwest and elsewhere.
The administration said the program was just temporary.
This is a short-term solution that will give President Trump and his administration the time to work on longterm trade deals, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue as administration officials argued that the plan was not a bailout.
But that provided little solace to rank-and-file Republicans, who said the tariffs are simply taxes and warned the action would open a Pandoras box for other sectors of the economy.
I want to know what were going to say to the automobile manufacturers and the petrochemical manufacturers and all the other people who are being hurt by tariffs, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Youve got to treat everybody the same.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said the plan would spend billions on gold crutches, adding, Americas farmers dont want to be paid to lose they want to win by feeding the world.
