(Editor's Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement of any political party or candidate on the part of Newsmax.)
OPINION
Donald Is Right: We Must Stand by the American Farmer
I was born and raised in Iowa, the center of America’s "Heartland."
I worked our family farm side-by-side with my Dad and my Grandpa.
I didn’t care much about politics back in those days, but I do now.
President Donald Trump signed the last farm bill into law in 2018, and he declared "we will always stand with the American farmers" who are "the heart and soul of America."
I was more than pleased.
President Trump was right then, and his message still rings true today.
Congress should stand with American farmers by supporting an America-first farm bill.
It appears that Congress will try to pass a farm bill this year and traditionally has passed a bill every five years to reauthorize farm programs and make changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The process to pass the farm bill started with the House Agriculture Committee passing a $1.5 trillion bill this past week.
Reuters reported on May 24, 2024, "The House bill - which passed out of the committee 33-21 with 4 Democratic votes — expands farm commodity supports, shrinks SNAP funding, and reallocates nearly $20 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act intended for climate-smart farm practices."
There will be some issues that need to be negotiated, but there is a decent chance this bill passes before the end of the year.
The American people view Congress as unable to get anything done so it’s no surprise that the disapproval rate for Congress is hovering near 70%.
Supporting America’s farmers through sound policies and the passage of a five-year farm bill is one way to begin winning back voter trust and demonstrate that Congress is putting America’s priorities first, just as their constituents have demanded.
Americans are feeling the painful effects of "Bidenflation" and farmers are no exception.
Inflation has increased the costs for nearly every component that goes into growing a crop, from the diesel that fuels a tractor, to the seed that goes into the ground, to the fertilizer and crop protection tools that help that crop thrive.
In total, farm costs are up more than 30% since the last Farm Bill in 2018.
Our farmers work long hours and hard days to feed America.
They’re the bedrock of our society. After all, what kind of secure nation cannot feed itself?
Do we want to be dependent on countries like China for our food?
That’s why Congress must not only quickly pass a five-year farm bill, but they must also rebuff any attempts to implement America-last changes.
We know America’s farmers not only have integrity and pride in the food they produce, but they also grow crops under some of the strictest safety, environmental, and labor standards in the world.
As President Trump declared, "We want our products made, grown and raised right here in the USA, especially when it comes to our food supply."
Corn and beans are what most people think of when it comes to farming, but sugar policy is a good example of where Congress can place American interests first by blocking actions that will enrich foreign producers — at the expense of American farmers.
It’s already hard to make it as a farmer in Biden’s America.
Since 2000, Americans have witnessed the closure of 25 U.S. sugar mills and processors, and we saw the closure of a beet factory in Montana last year and the total loss of sugar production in Texas this season.
Congress directs USDA to ensure that sugar policy costs taxpayers absolutely nothing, so eliminating or weakening it in the farm bill would not save any money, but would drive more farmers out of business, put additional hard-working Americans out of jobs, and threaten our America-first food supply chain.
Driving more farmers, factories and workers into the ground by making America-last changes to sugar policy is not only shortsighted, but it fails on President Trump’s promises to stand with American farmers and dismantles the important work he did to stand up to foreign cheaters like China and Mexico.
Sugar is not the only crop in the farm bill, but the billions of pounds of foreign subsidized sugar that have been dumped on the global sugar market make changes to sugar policy a unique threat to American farmers.
America’s farmers and ranchers are true patriots.
Let’s honor their work, and stay true to the course President Trump set, by passing a five-year farm bill that puts America first.
Steve Sherman is an author, radio commentator, and former Iowa House candidate. His articles have appeared nationally in both print and online.