Ag secretary nominee says farmer payments could offset losses from tariffs

President Trump’s pick to lead USDA says she would consider direct payments to farmers to offset losses from proposed tariffs, similar to a strategy in Trump’s first term.

Brooke Rollins appeared before the Senate Agriculture Committee on January 23 and said she spoke to Sonny Perdue, Trump’s agriculture secretary during his first term about how to handle retaliatory tariffs.

Trump has threatened new tariffs this term, including on Mexico and Canada, the U.S.’ largest agriculture trade partners.

“We are prepared to execute something similar, if approved, if confirmed,” Rollins said, according to Reuters, adding, “we can’t reinvent the wheel.”

Reuters said some senators on the committee challenged the approach.

“What we’ve heard from our farmers and ranchers over and over again is they want to be able to do the work. They want to be able to export. They don’t want to solve this problem by getting aid,” said Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado.

Rollins served as acting director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council at the end of Trump’s first term as president.

She said at the hearing that she would prioritize expanding access to trade markets and reducing the country’s $42 billion agricultural trade deficit.