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Congresswoman questions support for competing soybean exporter amid farm aid talks

A member of the House Ag Committee says farmers on her Agriculture Advisory Council are questioning the Trump administration’s recent $20 billion bailout of Argentina.

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski tells Brownfield, “Why would this administration be providing financial taxpayer incentives to a country that is our competitor when we’re trying to sell our own domestically grown soybeans?”

China recently purchased around 7 million tons of soybeans from Argentina, and Budzinski says…

“China’s not buying our soybeans.”  She says, “Why would we be providing any kind of financial bailout to Argentina right now, at the potential detriment of our own growers?”

Budzinski says the move is also counterintuitive as talks of a $10 billion U.S. farmer assistance package pick up steam.

“The best thing that would happen is for farmers to be able to move what they’re growing to market.”  She says, “They don’t want to have to rely on direct payments to keep their farms afloat.”

The Illinois Democrat says the administration is exploring financing the payments by using tariff revenue to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation, which is the same agency that funded the Market Facilitation Program payments during Trump’s first term.

AUDIO: Rep. Nikki Budzinski