Aid Package Newhouse

Aid Package Newhouse

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I'm Bob Larson. As Congress takes some time off for their August recess, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse takes time to chime in on last weeks announcement that the USDA plans to make $12-billion dollars available for farmers hit by retaliatory trade tariffs from China.

He says the move obviously has the best of intentions and should help ... some ...

NEWHOUSE ... "Well just let me tell you, in the state of Washington, we have about $15-billion dollars' worth of ag products and processed agricultural products that are exported annually. It's a big deal. Our agricultural industry definitely depends on a successful foreign market."

Newhouse says, make no mistake, it's a lot of money ...

NEWHOUSE ... "$12-billion dollars is a lot of money, true, but it's not, it would not go a long way to help agriculture in the long term."

He says farmers don't want to sound unappreciative, but it's not the perfect solution to the trade woes producers are dealing with ...

NEWHOUSE ... "it's appreciated by the ag industry that the administration would take actions to dull the impact of retaliatory tariffs, but the best thing, the best thing that could happen is that markets are reopened and that we continue to be able to market our products worldwide."

Newhouse says he's talked to a lot of farmers who are supportive of an administration that wants to help level the playing field and make sure our trading partners play by the rules. However, he says getting to that point sooner rather than later would be the best way to avoid more pain.

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