A group of Senate Republicans are urging the Biden administration to take action to increase agricultural exports.
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Finance Committee member John Thune (R-South Dakota), and U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Arkansas) led 19 of their colleagues in urging U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to increase U.S. agricultural exports and improve the competitiveness of U.S. products abroad.
United States Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) were among the 19 Senators who signed the letter. Senator Grassley was asked by reporters about the letter and why it was sent.
At a time of increasing tensions in trade relations between the United States and China, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has urged “a thoughtful and nuanced discussion about China” to not jeopardize billions of dollars in ag products sold to the country.
Senator Grassley says that he agrees with Secretary Vilsack in part.
The 19 Senators who signed the letter includes Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds, (R-South Dakota), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Todd Young (R-Indiana).
