(WASHINGTON D.C.) — Reports of a potential farmer aid package announcement this week are now on hold as farmers will have to wait until after the government shutdown ends.
Both Barron’s and Bloomberg are reporting that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a Thursday cabinet meeting of the Trump Administration that the administration will be able to roll out a “significant program” to help farmers after the government shutdown ends. According to the report from Barron’s, both Rollins and President Trump blamed the Biden administration, saying that China wasn’t living up to the $50 billion in agricultural purchases it promised as part of the trade deal Trump had struck in his first term.
Politico earlier this week also reported that the White House is delaying its plans to issue economic aid to farmers this week due to the government shutdown. The White House Office of Management and Budget prepared between $12 and $13 billion to be allocated from an internal USDA account. The sources said no final decision has been made yet on the total amount of money that will go for farm aid, and the package likely won’t be coming out soon. It’s possible the timeline was further delayed because some of the USDA’s political appointees have been placed on furlough during the shutdown. Politico also said officials are weighing the possibility of using tariff revenue, the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation fund, and other alternative methods to alleviate farmers’ financial stress.
President Trump tapped the USDA fund to dole out $28 billion in assistance during the first trade war with China.
