Bailout Band-Aid can’t fix Republican tariff problem
This week, a $12 billion bailout for farmers was announced. Farmers appreciate the cash, but what they really want is a market that pays them for their hard work and high-quality product. What President Trump, Reps. Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing, and Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy forget is that Montana farmers aren’t looking for a handout — they’re hard-working, honest folks who just want to be paid fairly.
Trump’s tariff war caused irreparable damage to agricultural markets. Costs for fertilizer, seed and equipment skyrocketed and essential items became harder to get. When harvests came this year, American farmers lost billions in sales to the tariff war.
Every business owner knows that higher costs and no market to sell is not a sustainable business plan. This watered-down solution will not stabilize markets or lower costs — it just prevents Montana farmers from thriving in the long-term.
Trump’s tariffs put us in this position — but make no mistake, Daines, Sheehy, Zinke and Downing have allowed this to happen. While Trump tries (and fails) to play CEO of America with his tariffs, our Montana delegation has not said one word in our defense.
When will they do their jobs? When will they use their voices to check the president’s power? When did Montanans become an acceptable sacrifice?
Montanans know the Republican game plan. Create a crisis, slap a Band-Aid on it, declare “victory”. But this bailout isn’t meant for farmers. It’s meant for big business and the wealthy. Trump and Congress eliminated the orders from President Biden that were cracking down on ag consolidation – and now those conglomerates are the ones getting the biggest handout.
When Daines, Downing, Sheehy and Zinke supported the Big Beautiful Bill this summer, they also supported raising the payment cap and creating loopholes for large, corporate farms. In Trump’s first bailout in 2019, an extra $519 million flowed to the top 1.3% of farms. When it comes to today’s Republican party, they prioritize the rich at every turn — they don’t care about us or our livelihoods.
Our leaders like to claim they’re “America first” but Montana farmers have yet to see that materialize — especially since Trump and Congress gave them pennies in comparison to Argentina’s $40 billion bailout. That’s more than twice what they gave America’s farmers, and less than half of their projected losses to tariffs. Apparently, Montana’s Congressmen are more interested in Argentina’s well-being than ensuring Montana farmers stay afloat.
Montana farmers need a market that works for them — not a Band-Aid. Daines, Sheehy, Zinke and Downing should be delivering for Montanans. It’s time for them to put Montana first.
Justin Ailport is interim executive director of the Montana Democratic Party.