Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

There was a lot of talk today about how the Trump administration is putting America’s farmers first. But I think if you actually asked many farmers, ranchers and producers, they’d be less certain.  

The farmers I know and speak to talk to me about uncertainty. They say they’re not sure whether they can make it another season. They’re worried about handing the farm over to their children. Something America’s family farmers strive for, and take pride in, but are struggling to do under these economic conditions. They tell me they want us to help develop markets – not more government handouts. 

Since January, farm country has been dealt one blow after another. Trade wars that increase costs and eliminate markets. USDA layoffs that impact farm program enrollment. The elimination of oversubscribed USDA programs that farmers rely on to help their bottom lines. Contracts they have signed, ignored. Catering to an HHS secretary who cites, believes and promotes fake science. And Secretary Rollins, you aren’t standing up to him – and the farmers that feed and fuel the world would like to see you do so.  

You’ll have to excuse me and my colleagues if we don’t quite believe the “putting farmers first” rhetoric.

I know you're working hard, but we shouldn’t be pushing trade partners away from America’s soybean farmers and toward soy products grown in Brazil and Argentina. We should be working to increase market access rather than watching our competitors eat into ours. 

You’ve mentioned China agreed to a trade deal a few times today, but if you look under the hood, it's not delivering more market access. It appears we've just re-agreed to move forward with the previous tentative framework that was agreed to last month in Geneva. As we sit here today, it seems we're still stuck at "a concept of a plan."

In addition, we shouldn’t be signing onto and lending what’s left of USDA’s credibility to MAHA Commission reports that aim to take away the tools our American farmers use to grow our food. 

We shouldn’t be going along with the mismanagement of the USDA programs and personnel that Elon Musk and his DOGE kids raided during the USDA's early days. We're heard nothing but silence from the Cabinet during that period of time.

The current course on reconciliation is threatening the farm bill coalition. And we should’ve been trying to pass a five-year, 12-title farm bill rather than cutting SNAP by $300 billion, putting the stability and income it provides to family farmers in jeopardy. 

When I became the ranking member of this Committee, I promised to go anywhere and talk to anyone to improve life for our family farmers. I’ve always called it like I see it – you can ask the Biden administration about that. I thought they should be out there looking for more trade deals.

Today, as I look under the hood, this administration is creating the chaos that is failing our farmers.

And with that, I yield back.