Baldwin Says Trump’s Bailout is No Fix to His Trade War’s Damage to Wisconsin Farmers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after President Trump announced a $12 billion bailout to farmers who have been hurt by his own trade war:
“Wisconsin farmers put in more time and heart into their craft than just about anyone I know – and all they want is a fair shot to succeed,” said Senator Baldwin. “Trump knows that his trade war is crushing our farmers, and this chaos and hardship is a totally self-inflicted wound. Sadly, this package won’t even be enough to make our farmers and producers whole. We’ve spent years rebuilding relationships after Trump’s first trade war and fighting for American farmers to be able to sell their products across the world. Those markets are now gone, and this one-time check is not going to cover the years of lost business for farmers. If the President wants to get serious about helping our agriculture sector, he needs to start by ending this reckless trade war.”Reporting has shown that the Trump administration’s tariffs have made it difficult for Wisconsin dairy farmers to export milk products and for beef producers and soybean farmers to access Chinese markets. Trump’s trade war had led to China boycotting American soybeans, causing soybean prices to drop significantly and leaving farmers without places to sell their products. While China has since committed to purchasing American soybeans, Wisconsin farmers are still waiting for them to fulfill their agreement to purchase American soybeans at the promised levels.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
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Aug 20th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinBaldwin supports Governor Evers’ appeal for hazard mitigation funds to ensure Wisconsin communities can build back more resilient after April storms
Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Trump From Hiding Troop Death and Injuries From Iran War
Aug 14th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinLegislation comes after Pentagon recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran War in an attempt to downplay war’s harms
Baldwin, Blumenthal Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump Admin Rescind Cancelation of Lifesaving Research Grants That Improve Patient Safety & Care
Aug 14th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinLawmakers: “The agency’s actions over the last year are an outrageous abuse of administrative power that will leave Americans sicker, poorer, and dying from preventable causes. Each of these canceled grants put real life patients further from the care that they need.”
I wonder if this huge payout will go primarily to the large corporate farms that can likely weather the business or if the money will be primarily given to the small family farmer who is simply trying to maintain his daily livelihood? I can guess which group of farmers will see the most of this huge package.
“What’s past is prologue”
“An analysis of Agriculture Department payment data shows that 6,430 big farm operations each collected $100,000 or more since 2018 in each of the past three bailouts. Of those, a staggering 2,191 operations each took in more than a total of $1 million in government bailout payments from the three bailouts.
But a very different situation played out for the vast majority of farmers who sought bailout payments, including small farms. During the last Trump trade war bailout, nearly 400,000 struggling farmers each received less than $10,000”.
While visiting Wisconsin last year (2019), Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in essence said farmers should get big or get out.