(Washington, D.C., November 2, 2020) – Today in a FOX Business op-ed, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue highlighted the Trump Administration’s accomplishments over the past four years for America’s farmers and ranchers saying, “President Donald J. Trump is an unabashed advocate for America’s farmers and ranchers and his administration has delivered prosperity for rural America. Whether by cutting taxes for all Americans, fighting for better trade deals, expanding the use of ethanol, or connecting rural Americans to high-quality broadband Internet, the President has made sure that America is better off.”

While excerpts of the op-ed are below, you may click HERE to read the piece in its entirety.

“… As landowners, most farmers recognize the value of the president’s tax cuts, which virtually repealed the death tax, thereby keeping family farms in the family without penalty. One often overlooked yet crucial part of tax reform was its impact on pass-through entities. More than 98% of family farms are pass-through entities. These family farms constitute more than 90% of all United States agricultural production.

“… The president has also tackled overregulation that was strangling small businesses. At USDA, we took the president’s deregulation directive and completed 38 deregulatory items for every five regulatory items for a total regulatory annual savings of over $262 million. Perhaps most importantly, President Trump repealed the Waters of the United States rule – the days are gone when the federal government can claim a small farm pond on private land as navigable waters.

“… Additionally, the American agricultural economy depends on trade and the President has done so much to create free and fair trading relationships with our largest trading partners. Trade deals like the USMCA and the United States-Japan Trade Deal help America retain our competitive edge and increase the prosperity of Americans across the country.

“… President Donald J. Trump is an unapologetic advocate for America around the world. For the past three years, he has pushed back against China’s unfair trade practices to protect America’s economic and national security interests. China has not played by the rules for a long time, and President Trump has vowed to not let China’s cheating continue. The historic Phase One Agreement has led to a record pace of Chinese purchases, boosting agricultural commodity prices.

“… Since taking office, President Trump has done more to narrow that gap than any other president since the 1930s by funding mile after mile of high-speed fiber optic cable to connect rural Americans to the Internet. So far, USDA has funded hundreds of projects with more than $1.2 billion in grants and loans.

“…At the end of the day, farmers today are better off thanks to President Trump’s policy initiatives, trade policies and his strong support. According to the Economic Research Service, farm income is forecasted to be at its highest level since 2013, reversing course after bottoming out in 2016. This didn’t happen by accident.”

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