Trump administration announces $8 billion farm relief plan as fuel, fertilizer costs bite

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President Donald Trump announced at a Kansas rally on Monday that his administration is introducing an $8 billion aid package for farmers in the face of high diesel and fertilizer costs.

The package comes just two weeks before midterm elections, where political headwinds threaten to complicate Republicans’ efforts to hold on to seats in some farm-heavy, typically red states.

The war with Iran has added to pressure on America’s farmers as they prepare for the crucial harvest season : Fertilizer costs have soared this year after the Middle East conflict disrupted one-third of the world’s supply that normally flowed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Farmers are also major users of diesel fuel for their farming equipment, and have seen the price of that key workhorse fuel hit record levels .

Why the farm squeeze is turning Iowa into a midterm toss-up

It’s the the second time in 11 months that the US Department of Agriculture has offered a one-time payment to farmers through a “Harvest Fuel Relief program.” A $12 billion aid package announced in December helped farmers who then were primarily hurt by the trade disputes sparked by the Trump administration’s tariffs, which were cutting into export demand for their crops and other products.

Current polling projects close Senate races or even Democratic victories in many states that Trump easily won in the last three presidential elections, including Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas. Democrats are forecast to win Senate races in North Carolina and Georgia .

Kansas, which has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932, is seen as too close to call in a race between Sen. Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton. Trump credited Marshall with helping to get the latest farm aid package in place at the rally Monday night. And he promised even more help for farmers “when the Republicans win.”

“We love our farmers,” Trump told the crowd.

Arin Yoon/Bloomberg/Getty Images/文件

周一，唐纳德·特朗普总统在堪萨斯州的一次集会上宣布，面对高昂的柴油和化肥成本，他的政府将推出一项价值 80 亿美元的农民援助计划。

该方案出台时距离中期选举仅剩两周，届时政治逆风可能会使共和党在一些农业大州（通常是共和党占优势的州）保住席位的努力变得更加复杂。

与伊朗的战争给美国农民带来了更大的压力，因为他们正准备迎接关键的收获季节：由于中东冲突扰乱了通常经由霍尔木兹海峡运输的全球三分之一的化肥供应，今年的化肥成本飙升。

农民也是农业设备柴油燃料的主要用户，他们眼睁睁地看着这种关键燃料的价格达到了历史最高水平。

为什么农业紧缩让爱荷华州的中期选举变成势均力敌的局面

这是美国农业部11个月内第二次通过“丰收燃料救济计划”向农民提供一次性补贴。去年12月宣布的120亿美元援助计划帮助了当时主要受特朗普政府关税引发的贸易争端影响的农民，这些关税削减了农作物和其他产品的出口需求。

目前的民调显示，在特朗普过去三届总统选举中轻松获胜的许多州，包括爱荷华州、堪萨斯州、俄亥俄州和德克萨斯州，参议院席位的争夺可能出现胶着局面，甚至民主党可能获胜。预计民主党将在北卡罗来纳州和佐治亚州赢得参议院席位。

堪萨斯州自1932年以来从未选出过民主党参议员，目前该州选情胶着，现任参议员罗杰·马歇尔和民主党候选人亚当·汉密尔顿之间的竞争难分胜负。周一晚的竞选集会上，特朗普称赞马歇尔为促成最新一轮农业援助方案的出台做出了贡献。他还承诺，“如果共和党获胜”，将为农民提供更多援助。

“我们热爱我们的农民，”特朗普对人群说道。