U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) last week said he’s appreciative of the Trump administration’s continued support for America’s beleaguered farmers, who are suffering financial losses at the hands of trade tariffs imposed on them by China.
President Donald Trump recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will respond to such tariffs with federal funds to help the nation’s farmers and agriculture producers.
“For far too long, China and other foreign trading partners have targeted America’s farmers with discriminatory trade policies,” Rep. Lucas said on May 24. “President Trump and Secretary Sonny Perdue are committed to protecting our nation’s agriculture producers from predatory trade practices while they weather unjustly retaliatory tariffs imposed by China.”
The congressman pointed out that since being elected, Trump has promised to hold China and other trading partners accountable while his administration negotiates fair trade deals.
The president continues to do so, Rep. Lucas said, and last week noted USDA will provide $16 billion in trade mitigation programs, which includes $14.5 billion directly provided to producers through the Market Facilitation Program.
“While House Democrats continue to obstruct a bipartisan trade deal with our neighbors to the north and south, keeping our farmers and ranchers in limbo, I am grateful that our president is continuing his support and defending those producers on every front,” the congressman said.
Such action is one of many economic tools that the president is using to stabilize domestic markets as trade negotiations continue, Rep. Lucas added.
“As a farmer and rancher, I know my fellow Oklahomans would prefer trade rather than aid, but the president’s actions are a bright example of how he is committed to assisting our farmers while developing new export markets on behalf of producers,” said Rep. Lucas.