Farmers get phony support at White House event yesterday
Farmers get phony support at White House event yesterday
The Trump administration held an event at the White House yesterday with a gold-painted tractor to celebrate its “OnlyFarms” website and farming in general. Another photo-op, with a particularly poorly chosen name. And what did farmers actually get? Not much. Promises to reduce pollution regulations, and Trump even called environmental activists terrorists. Oh, and he supported the Farm Bill, which if passed (as is) will expose farmers to even more dangerous chemicals with less regulation. Here is the story, which the White House linked to:
President Donald Trump announced a series of actions Friday aimed at assisting farmers and food suppliers to help cut costs amid rising energy prices, promising a new “golden age” for the agricultural industry.
Trump shared guidance on farm equipment regulations in an effort to cut costs and increase government loan guarantees for agricultural products, including tractors, among other reforms.
He said a lot of farm equipment has become unaffordable for many farmers.
“Every day we’re looking for new ways to support our farmers, reduce your costs and to help lower the price of food for the American family,” Trump said on the South Lawn of the White House. “We’re going to prove that the golden age of American agriculture is right here and right now.”
The Biden administration crippled the farming industry, Trump said, with harsh restrictions and a lack of trade deals.
To help them, Trump said his administration recently used tariff money to give farmers $12 billion in relief.
“I’m also asking Congress to quickly pass the new farm bill,” he said. “And, today, I’m promising to request additional farm relief for our great patriots in the next funding bill.”
President Donald Trump speaks during an event with farmers on the South Lawn of the White House Friday. The White House Ballroom construction area appears at right. (Alex Brandon/AP)
In addition, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) will alter guidelines for a system designed to limit diesel emissions that will save farmers billions of dollars, Trump said.
He also announced new guidelines to limit Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) rules, which mandate that modern diesel engines use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
“It was a basic disaster,” Trump said.
Trump also highlighted the EPA’s efforts to boost renewable fuels from agricultural products, while criticizing environmental activists.
“What they’ve done to you and the country — what they’ve done to the country — is just incredible,” he said. “They are terrorists.”
Trump also announced new loan guarantees from the Small Business Administration for small businesses in the agricultural industry, including food suppliers; vegetable, grain and seed farmers; and cattle, pig and poultry producers and grocery wholesalers.
This past week, we were told how wonderful the “Made in USA” label for meat would be. But this is a voluntary label, it is not that new, and foreign-raised meat will remain unlabeled. Read all about it here.
Not satisfied with the damage from its efforts to increase pollution and exposure to toxic chemicals for farmers, the administration gave its new farming website a rather unfortunate name.
Rep. Thomas Massie made an appropriate comment:
“Can you arrest Epstein’s co-conspirators instead of riffing on a porn site?”
16 co-conspirators were given immunity in 2008.
Not one has been arrested.
Massie is the only Republican consistently demanding accountability.
Massie also points out that DOJ has removed some of the Epstein files from the unredacted production that members of Congress were given access to:
Let’s make this go viral.
I’m glad that Congressman Massie keeps finding ways to keep the Epstein files foremost in the public’s mind.