Grassley criticizes Trump’s farm bailout rules after Chinese-owned firm qualifies
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday expressed alarm that a Chinese-owned pork firm qualifies for federal payments under President Trump’s $12 billion bailout for farmers hurt by the administration’s trade war with China.
Grassley, a member of the Senate’s agriculture committee, said Thursday that he did not understand why U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods is eligible to participate in the bailout program created this summer by the Agriculture Department. Smithfield, one of the largest pork producers in America, was acquired in 2013 by a Chinese conglomerate now named WH Group.
The Trump administration has pitched the bailout as a short-term measure designed to help U.S. farmers survive the trade spat with China. The Chinese government this July imposed retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. exports, including 62 percent tariffs on U.S. pork products.
To help affected farmers, the Agriculture Department has said it will buy $1.2 billion of surplus food from farmers for distribution to food banks across the country, including $559 million in pork products. Earlier this week, USDA officials told The Washington Post that Smithfield is on the list that can apply to sell under this new program.
The USDA has also started sending direct cash payments to farmers affected by the trade and will spend an additional $200 million to promote U.S. exports in foreign markets.
Grassley has not yet talked to the White House about changing the rules to exclude Smithfield from the bailout, but he is considering doing so and may take action at a later date, said Michael Zona, a spokesman for Grassley. The GOP Senator is looking into reported connections between WH Group and the Chinese government -- ties some congressional lawmakers probed when Smithfield was acquired in 2013.
“[Grassley] cares a lot about fundamental fairness when it comes to these programs,” Zona said. “And it appears that taxpayer money will go to a state-owned enterprise as a result of that state’s tariffs.”
Smithfield has not confirmed that it is applying for bailout money, but a spokeswoman said earlier this week that “any approved vendor that can supply the requested product can bid for the contract.” Smithfield did not immediately respond when asked about Grassley’s remarks.
Grassley, a farmer who owns land in Iowa, has been critical of the Trump administration’s trade war but confirmed last month that he will himself be requesting money under the bailout program.
Jeff Stein 19 hrs
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So he knows a Chinese owned firm is going to benefit from this yet will do nothing.
Grassley himself is going to profit from this.
The new trump/conservative way. Throw money at every everything.
Spending 1.2 billion plus another 200 mil for promotion.
The story didn't say that.
It says exactly that. Has not yet talked to trump and says may do something.
So as of now, nothing.
You said he will do nothing, as if he had decided for sure he wasn't going to do anything. The truth is that he may. The words mean different things and therefore our response to them should be appropriate.
Saying he may do something at a later date is still doing nothing.
I say he will do nothing because this is not getting any attention and if he wanted to, he could have done something already. No need to wait.
I think if he makes a big deal out of it, it will show himself making money off of it and he doesn't want that.
That's not exactly true. He is doing something. He is applying for his cut of the bailout.
True that.
Still don't get why I have to pay farmers because dumb shit is willingly fucking over their profit margin. Trump decides to fuck over farmers, then makes me pay them because he fucked them over, seriously?
Some will still cheer this on like trump is doing great things.
See? You do know the truth. You just don't like admitting it.
They're fellow Americans; they're feeding you; their situation is not their fault. Those seem like good reasons.
That's silly. He didn't decide to fuck over farmers. No president is trying to do that.
He decided to try to help farmers and other Americans who are connected with trade to China, which is pretty much everyone. China won't change their unfair practices without a good reason, so he's trying to give them a good reason. So far, that strategy has worked with Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. Since he has a track record of success, I think we should be willing to be patient while he works on China, even if it sucks a little in the short term.
No, it's trumps fault and as usual, the taxpayers have to pay for his fuck-ups.
Sounds like welfare ta me.
Cool its more like a loan ? Good luck getting it back.
with interest.....
So the fuck what?
No I am buying their products.
Yeah, it is the fault of the fucking idiot they elected. Why should I have to bail their idiot asses out?
Tariffs/trade war. It was no mystery, at any point, that farmers would be fucked the hardest, and fat fuck did it anyways. Trump went out of his way to do that.
Cool, why should I have to pay for it?
Why should I have to pay for it?
Depends on your pathetically low definition of success. But again, why am I paying?
Perhaps:
I'm just going to suggest that you never lecture anyone else on being selfish. Because, wow!
Here's an example of news media explaining away something that doesn't make them happy (i.e. that Trump may have done a good thing and maybe they were wrong about him destroying the economy):
People who should know (investors and business groups) are happy. That's bad for the "Trump is evil" narrative. So we have to make up a reason why this approval is not what it appears to obviously be.
What follows is opinion, but how honest that opinion is remains dubious.
Here's the thing: Even if you think redoing NAFTA is no biggie, it's not the calamity the haters predicted. Furthermore, even the haters have to admit that there is some improvement, albeit "modest" whatever that means.
Not sure what that has to do with what trump has done with regards to this article?
It's an example of media bias in the reporting. They predicted disaster, but good things happened instead. They were wrong. They'll never admit it, so they twist themselves into knots and claim it's not as good as claimed, so you should continue to think poorly of the president. It's partisan and desperate.
Grassley's main interest is in the 'monetary grease.' Other than that he has no interest at all.
a Chinese-owned pork firm qualifies for federal payments under President Trump’s $12 billion bailout for farmers hurt by the administration’s trade war with China.
IF this wasn't so damn sad, it'd be almost hilarious.
OOps, them damn loopholes... details .... Whose watching the details ?
silence
............................
IF policies start coming forth in crayon, I'm starting to look abroad. buzz ? How's is china ? ....lol