Rep. Kinzinger Statement on Aid for U.S. Farmers

Statement

In response to the USDA's announcement regarding $16 billion in additional relief for farmers impacted by trade disruptions, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) released the following statement:

"The Administration's announcement today regarding additional relief for our nation's farmers will go a long way toward curbing the impacts of our trade issues with China. Farmers in the 16th District of Illinois and across the country are bearing the brunt of these trade disputes on top of dealing with six straight years of industry recession. I know how hard our farmers work, and understand they'd prefer to have open export markets to sell their goods rather than look to relief programs. I respect that greatly and share those sentiments. But the President deserves to be commended--he is fighting for our farmers against unfair trade practices but understands the need to provide temporary relief during these negotiations.

"As I have stated in the past, I agree with President Trump that the need to address unfair trading practices is long overdue, but the United States must keep the focus of our trade negotiations as narrow as possible to ensure the best overall outcomes for hard-working Americans. Congress now has an opportunity to finalize one set of negotiations by passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which would allow the Administration to focus on negotiating a trade agreement with China to make American businesses and farmers stronger than ever. I urge the Democratic leadership in Congress to put aside their political differences with the President and move swiftly to ratify the USMCA."

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