North Dakota congressional leaders push for bridge support for farmers amid trade war

WASHINGTON (KFYR/KMOT) – As the ongoing trade war—and now a government shutdown—continues, members of our congressional delegation are pushing the current administration to offer what they’re calling ‘bridge support’ for North Dakota farmers until a better deal can be reached.

Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-ND, sent a letter to President Trump on Friday asking the administration to provide immediate relief for our state’s soybean farmers through a bridge payment program.

In the letter, Fedorchak cited how soybean prices are below many farmers’ break-even point, with some potentially losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, echoed these concerns on the Senate floor this past week, calling for immediate relief for North Dakota farmers while the trade war and shutdown play out.

“As the administration works to secure better trade deals with our nation, it’s critical that we don’t allow China to use our farmers as a pressure point in those negotiations. That’s why I’ve been working along with others with this administration on emergency assistance to bridge that gap while we seek better trade agreements and more export sales for our farmers,” said Hoeven.

The Senate is set to vote on a bill to fund the government through Nov. 21, but according to CNBC, Republicans would need at least eight Democrats to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to pass, making progress unlikely.