Linda T. Sanchez (D-Calif.) ranking member of the Ways and Means Commerce Subcommittee issued the The following statement in response to the Trump administration's plan for a $12 billion tariff bailout for farmers:

“President Trump is betting that throwing $12 billion of taxpayer dollars at the chaos he created will somehow make Americans forget that he caused this mess in the first place.

Families across the country are already paying the price for his chaotic trade wars, from groceries to energy. Now he wants to waste even more of his money to hide the financial losses farmers are suffering because of his reckless policies.

Instead of letting Trump spend a ton of money to cover up his mistakes, congressional Republicans should finally step up their efforts and work with Democrats to reclaim our constitutional tariff authority. It's time to end Trump's trade wars so we can reopen foreign markets for our farmers and bring prices down for American families.

Ranking Member Sanchez introduced the Stop a Trade Rogue President Act, a bill of a law that would eliminate most of President Trump's tariffs and require congressional approval for any new tariffs imposed by the president. The bill has the support of all Ways and Means Democrats.

Trump plans bailout for US farmers

The plan, designed over the last few months,It comes on the eve of 2026, the year of the midterm elections, when Trump needs the support of the rural sector to maintain the Republican majority in Congress. According to The Wall Street Journal, much of the aid, totaling $11 billion, will be distributed through one-time payments from the Farmer Bridge Assistance program. The remaining $1 billion, the newspaper adds, will be allocated to basic commodities not covered by the assistance program. 2025 has been an especially difficult year for the U.S. agricultural sector, which experienced a 60% increase in bankruptcies in the first half of the year. Trump's harsh tariff policy against China also led the Asian giant to temporarily suspend purchases of U.S. soybeans, a situation that was resolved after an agreement reached at the end of October. The plan now devised by the Trump Administration seeks to help soybean producers pay off their debts after a year of devastating losses. and finance the planting of next year's crop.

China, the largest buyer of US soybeans, has committed to purchasing 12 million metric tons this year and 25 million annually for the next three years.

During the disagreement, China turned to the Argentine market to replace US soybean exports, so the credit line that the White House granted in October to the government of Javier Milei to support its economy angered US farmers.