Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the Farm Bill Conference Committee, released the following statement on the Agriculture Department’s announced $12 billion “short-term” support for U.S. farmers who are struggling because of President Trump’s trade policies:

“This is merely a band-aid for a wound created by President Trump’s reckless trade policies,” said Kuster. “Short term financial support is no substitute for a healthy agriculture sector. I’ve heard from dairy farmers in my district who have already been struggling due to low commodity prices and are now being threatened by an increasingly hostile trade relationship with our allies. The Administration should immediately pursue a coherent trade policy that doesn’t devolve into a bitter trade war. This underscores the need for Congress to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that delivers for smaller producers and supports family farms.”

###