Donald Trump is headed to Council Bluffs today where he will offer hollow promises for farmers who are feeling economic pain from his Administration’s trade war and bad agriculture policies. Trump has repeatedly promised that farmers will be better off under his agenda, but his record tells a different story. Trump’s reckless agenda has caused America’s trade deficit to grow for the third consecutive month, leaving Iowa farmers in the dark about their future. As a reminder, Congressman David Young, Governor Kim Reynolds and Acting Ag Secretary Mike Naig continue to support the Administration’s agriculture agenda, which has already cost Iowa hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity. Here’s a look at a few ways the Republican agenda is disproportionately leaving Iowa’s rural communities behind:

Without a substantive plan that includes goals and deadlines, Trump’s announcement today amounts to little more than a political head fake to farmers who are already bearing the brunt of his harmful rural agenda.

Cedar Rapids Gazette: “Quick relief for ag under E15 no sure bet for Iowans”

Trump’s reckless and unpredictable agriculture policies could dismay potential retailers from investing in the necessary infrastructure to increase E-15 options at the pump.

Cedar Rapids Gazette: “But the administration is not proposing more funding to get E15 to the pump — it’s sold at only about 1 percent of the nation’s gas stations now — and rule-making is expected to take months and possibly lead to oil industry lawsuits.”

The Trump Administration’s work to undermine the Renewable Fuels Standard through waivers and exemptions to already profitable oil refiners, has destroyed demand for nearly 2.2 billion gallons of ethanol.

The Trump Administration’s trade war is costing Iowa’s economy hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars with no end in sight.

The Des Moines Register: “Iowa farmers could lose up to $2.2 billion from the U.S.’s trade wars, a new study shows, and those losses would ripple through the economy, hitting state tax receipts, jobs and industries such as manufacturing.”

Bloomberg: The U.S. trade deficit widened in August to the biggest in six months as soybean exports plunged and a measure of the gap with China hit a record, showing how the Trump administration’s trade war is dragging on economic growth.

Bloomberg: The gap in goods and services trade increased 6.4 percent to $53.2 billion, from a revised $50 billion in the prior month, Commerce Department data showed Friday. Imports rose 0.6 percent and exports fell 0.8 percent. Soybean exports dropped $1 billion, or 28 percent, to $2.58 billion, reversing a run-up earlier this year ahead of retaliatory levies from China.

Under Republican leadership, farm incomes have declined in rural Iowa by more than 50 percent.
Globe Gazette: “The largest and most concerning trend is a drop in farm income. Net farm income fell 46 percent from 2015 and is down 54 percent for those living in rural Iowa.”

David Young and his fellow House Republicans are holding up a much needed Farm Bill by continuing to insist on deep cuts to food assistance, conservation funding and on other cuts to subsidy and energy programs.

Politico: “One major fault line in the negotiations is the House Republican proposal to expand work requirements for millions of SNAP recipients.”

The expiration left roughly 40 vital programs without funding and exacerbates growing economic challenges for American farmers.

Roll Call: “Others, however, such as the Conservation Reservation Program, have permanent funding baselines but not permanent authority. That means they would continue to operate but could not approve new contracts, issue new block grants or do anything beyond honoring prior agreements. An additional 39 so-called orphan programs identified by the Congressional Research Service would lose authorization and mandatory funding Oct. 1. Spending for this group totals $2.8 billion over the five-year, $489 billion farm bill.”

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