Our farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our economy. Sadly, under the Biden-Harris administration, farmers, ranchers, and rural America have been sidelined. As a Kansan and fifth-generation farm kid, who now serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, the very idea of a candidate who doesn’t understand the value of agriculture is unfit to hold the nuclear codes. Food security is national security, and we need a leader in the White House who realizes the importance of agriculture, trade deals, and the “art of the deal” that gives America the upper hand.
For four years, the Biden-Harris administration has declared war on American agriculture. Their reckless policies have plunged net farm income to its lowest point in decades. The Biden-Harris America-last energy policies and rampant inflation have resulted in skyrocketing input costs, devastating our farmers’ bottom line. Diesel prices and nitrogen-based fertilizers, reliant on natural gas, have become unaffordable.
Interest rates have soared under Biden-Harris. Average operating loan rates for Kansas farmers with good credit have jumped from 2 percent to 9 percent—an increase of 7 percentage points since President Trump left office. This has resulted in $70,000 on average in additional costs for farmers’ bottom lines. The fact is, for four years, our farmers have been an afterthought to this administration, even though they have had to live with the consequences of their policy failures.
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Where the Trump administration rolled back harmful regulations to empower farmers, Biden has expanded them, stifling innovation and suffocating our agriculture sectors. Biden’s veto of a bipartisan effort to reverse the burdensome Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) regulations only adds insult to injury. Trump’s approach opened federal lands for grazing, while Biden’s policies have taken more land out of production, exacerbating the challenges faced by farmers.
In terms of trade, Trump opened vital markets in Japan, South Korea, Canada, China, and Mexico through agreements like the USMCA. These moves not only increased U.S. exports but also secured stable access to foreign markets for American farmers. In stark contrast, the Biden administration has not tried to negotiate any significant new trade agreements, effectively abandoning rural America and leaving it vulnerable.
The Biden-Harris administration’s neglect extends to biofuels as well. Under Trump, farmers enjoyed year-round access to E15, which benefited both the environment and the rural economy. Today, the lack of support for biofuels is a glaring oversight, stalling an industry that not only reduces carbon emissions but also sustains rural jobs.
Put simply, the Biden-Harris policies restrict land use, hinder energy production, drown our producers in regulations, and impose crushing interest rates, creating a ripple effect that devastates our communities and drives grocery prices through the roof.
That is why we must change course in November. Strong agricultural policies are not just vital for farmers—they are essential for the broader economy and the future of our nation. Protecting agriculture means preserving our way of life, supporting communities, and ensuring food security for all citizens, and perhaps most importantly and frequently overlooked by Vice President Kamala Harris, the role agriculture plays for our national security.
To revitalize rural America, we need a leader in the White House who prioritizes agricultural production and stands firmly against policies that undermine the very people who humbly feed the world. The time to act is now; we cannot afford another chapter of the Biden-Harris America agriculture-last agenda that will destroy rural America as we know it.
As agriculture goes, so goes rural America, and so goes the heartbeat of America. While Harris’s policies decimate rural America, Trump has a proven record of fighting for our agriculture producers. The stark contrast between the two administrations’ policies underscores the need for change. That is why, when determining who stands behind farm country, the answer couldn’t be clearer—that’s Donald J. Trump.
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D., R-Kansas sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
