Boozman, Klobuchar, Craig, NPPC comment on former ag leader letter

In emails to The Hagstrom Report today, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark.; ranking member Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; House Agriculture Committee ranking member Angie Craig, D-Minn.; and the National Pork Producers Council commented on the letter former agriculture leaders sent to congressional ag officials this week criticizing the Trump administration’s ag policies and urging Congress to take action. 

“America’s farm families are facing unprecedented challenges from rising input costs and high interest rates to depressed commodity prices and extreme weather events,” Boozman said.

“These conditions have worsened over multiple years, and across different administrations, underscoring the need for renewed focus to help stem the tide and support rural communities. I have consistently called for action to address these concerns,” he said.

“That’s why the Agriculture Committee led the charge as Congress delivered $10 billion in targeted economic assistance and $21 billion in disaster relief at the end of 2024. Producers have long called for a stronger farm safety net to help manage these pressures and Congress responded with a generational $68 billion investment in rural America through the Working Families Tax Cuts — representing approximately 85 percent of the farm bill.

“The Farmer Bridge Assistance program established by President Trump will help provide stability for farmers to realize those benefits, but there is widespread recognition that more help is needed so farmers can plan for the future. I continue to advocate for additional farm assistance and remain committed to working with the administration and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure famers have the resources they need to feed, fuel and clothe our country. What farmers need most are markets, and the previous administration made zero effort in this regard,” Boozman said.

Klobuchar said, “This letter outlining concerns from dedicated farm leaders, former USDA officials, and experts should be a wake-up call for this administration and members of Congress from both parties.”

“We need to do more to stand up for our farmers and ranchers — that starts with ending the administration’s chaotic, across-the-board tariff policies, which have created trade uncertainty, dried up farmers’ markets and increased input costs.

“We also must do more to ensure that farmers can easily access the USDA services they count on. I commend this bipartisan group of former ag leaders for boldly speaking out and am committed to working with them on the solutions they outlined, including passing a bipartisan farm bill,” Klobuchar said.

Craig said, “Let’s be clear, since coming to office the president has done nothing to put ‘farmers first’ or bring about the ‘golden age’ of farming. In fact, he’s done the exact opposite.”

“When family farmers and agriculture leaders have told him that, he has not only ignored them but doubled down on his economic chaos agenda. Trump has driven agriculture input costs up while driving commodity prices down. He’s eliminated markets for our farmers while opening market opportunities for our biggest agriculture competitors, some of whom he’s bailed out with $20 billion of taxpayer funds,” she said.

“We need to find solutions to these challenges and that starts with the Farm and Family Relief Act, which provides direct support to farmers and eliminates tariffs, and enacting year-round E15,” Craig said.

Wendy Brannen, a spokesperson for the National Pork Producers Council, said, “Agriculture is fortunate to have a long history of leaders impassioned about our industry’s future, and NPPC saw the letter to the House and Senate agriculture committees from many of them yesterday.”

“The National Pork Producers Council and grower-led agricultural groups like ours remain in the trenches working on issues such as trade barriers day in, day out; our boots-on-the-ground and grassroots efforts in D.C. are vital to working strategically with congressional leaders and the administration to address the key issues we face in the pork industry and agriculture at large,” Brannen said.

A spokesman for the National Corn Growers Association said the group would not comment on the letter and was “not involved in developing or disseminating the letter.”

A spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association said, “We’re not commenting on it.”

The American Soybean Association did not respond to a request for comment. 

Former National Corn Growers Association, Renewable Fuels Association and American Soybean Association officials are all among the signatories to the letter.