How much each farmer receives will largely depend on the county in which they live in, instead of what they grow. It is uncertain if the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) even has enough borrowing power to fund a second tariff-relief program. It is only allowed to borrow $30 billion per fiscal year from the U.S. Treasury and last year’s bailout used a big chunk of that.

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Senate Finance Committee Chairman, insisted “Farmers don’t want aid, they want trade.”  North Dakota state Senator Jim Dotzenrod (D-Wyndmere) in talking with AgWeek echoed those remarks, adding “there is more support than you’d think.” He feels the way the U.S. went about imposing these tariffs was a mistake. “It might have worked if it had been done in concert with other countries. The U.S. by itself in this confrontation is not going to be able to make China make fundamental changes,”

“Providing financial assistance during these times is the right thing to do, but this is the second year in a row, and we just do not have the funds to do this year after year,” said Alison Jones, Communication Director for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. “Farmers deserve more security than that. Farmers who’ve put in decades of work need to be able to rely on the markets, not politicians and the government.”

Negotiations with China are still ongoing, setting American consumers up for burdensome price hikes this summer. China said they will raise tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods on June 1 in retaliation for the Administration’s decision last week to raise duties on Chinese goods.

Food products such as honey, peanut oil, and some alcoholic beverages will see immediate price increases. If you’re looking to do any home improvements, expect to see higher costs for bricks, panels, floor tiles and tools used for milling or drilling. That family camping trip is going to cost more as well, sleeping bags, rubber boots, and walking sticks will also see the effects of tariffs. Those who prefer to spend the summer days indoors will see price hikes for televisions, headphones and other audio equipment. In fact, experts are calling these tariffs one of the largest tax increases in 25 years.

Agriculture and agribusiness are simply not top priorities for the Congressman, and no one ever really thought they were. During his 2018 campaign, farm groups had expressed apprehension, stating that they felt Armstrong doesn’t grasp their issues. They were right to be concerned.

As a candidate, Kelly Armstrong was not one to shy away from taking a position on the Trade War, but as a Congressman? He hasn’t spoken one word about it. Perhaps Congressman Armstrong thinks it best to fly under the radar in the hopes that the trade war will end soon, or perhaps he simply doesn’t care. One thing is for sure: come re-election time, Kelly Armstrong won’t be able to ignore the farmers he has failed to stand up for in Washington, anymore.

Republican Leaders from the top agriculture-producing states have spoken up. Senator Kevin Cramer has been dutifully cheering on the Administration from the sidelines, and Senator John Hoeven is out parroting false claims that ignore basic economics. And our lone Congressman, Kelly Armstrong? Well, he has said . . . nothing. Nothing at all. His website shows no statement regarding the failed negotiations. His social media is lively but in regards to the trade war? Dead silence. How can our lone Congressman have nothing to say?

“When you are the only Congressman for a state like North Dakota, you have to understand agribusiness, and when your constituents are putting their livelihoods on the line, you cannot remain silent – you just can’t,” said Alison Jones, Communications Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. “North Dakotans at least deserve to know if Congressman Armstrong will stand up to the Administration or will blindly cheer for reckless strategies that continue to devastate North Dakota’s agriculture economy. They deserve better than Kelly Armstrong’s silence.”

However, Senator John Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee has had absolutely no issue parroting these inaccurate claims. He stated the trade war continues to generate revenue for the United States, which could be used to fund aid to farmers. The Associated Press was compelled to correct Hoeven’s inaccurate statement. The truth is, tariffs are not paid for by China, but by American companies, farmers, and consumers.

“The trade war is adversely affecting the entire nation, with an emphasis on North Dakota’s farming community. Farmers cannot be forced to live in limbo while their Senator is in desperate need of an Economics 101 class,” said Alison Jones, Communications Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. “It’s one thing to defend the Administration if you feel it’s in the best interest of the country, but Senator John Hoeven should know better than to spread inaccuracies to his own constituents.”