(AURN News) — Former President Donald Trump says he is sending $12 billion in federal aid to farmers to help offset losses caused by his trade fights and newly imposed tariffs. The emergency funds are designed to support growers of soybeans, corn and wheat after major overseas buyers scaled back purchases from the United States.
Trump has tried to shift blame to former President Joe Biden, but powerful Democrats in Congress are pushing back. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the plan looks like using taxpayer money to paper over a trade war that hurt farmers in the first place, arguing that growers need stable buyers — not one-time checks.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., says many rural communities still may not break even because commodity prices remain low while costs for seed, fertilizer and equipment continue to rise.
Some Republicans also expressed discomfort. Senators including Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania warned that the administration cannot fix flawed trade policy by writing larger government checks to farmers.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
