Just hours after President Trump announced sweeping new duties on U.S. trade partners, multiple senators from his own party sided with Democrats to rebuke his trade policy.
Four Republicans joined Democrats in voting to challenge the emergency declaration used to justify tariffs on Canada: Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine.
The House has already blocked a vote on a similar resolution, so the bill has little chance of overturning the tariffs. But its sponsor, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., plans to force similar votes on other tariffs imposed using emergency powers.
Tariffs on the European Union will “be my next focus,” Kaine told reporters.
Why it matters: The administration used emergency powers on Wednesday to impose a 10% baseline tariff as well as higher reciprocal duties on countries with which the U.S. has persistent trade deficit. A future resolution challenging this declaration could also see a floor vote under expedited procedures.
Take note: Even some Senate Republicans who voted against Kaine’s resolution were unsure about the new tariff announcements. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Agri-Pulse he is concerned.
“It's kind of a high risk bet he's making on the economy,” Johnson said. “He may be right.”
“I'd like to be optimistic, but it's with an abundance of caution.,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. said. “There's a real threat out there, particularly in agriculture.”
Ag’s reaction: The American Farm Bureau Federation is raising concern about the tariffs.
“Tariffs will drive up the cost of critical supplies, and retaliatory tariffs will make American-grown products more expensive globally,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a statement. “The combination not only threatens farmers’ competitiveness in the short-term, but it may cause long-term damage by leading to losses in market share.”
Ag input suppliers are sounding the alarm as well. The American Seed Trade Association said the tariffs could “significantly increase costs associated with seed production.”
But, but, but: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association had praise for Trump. He “is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef,” said NBCA’s vice president of government affairs, Ethan Lane.
Ag chairs coordinating on farm bill, reconciliation
Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., says he and his House counterpart are in the early stages of deciding how to move parts of the farm bill into reconciliation.
Boozman met with House Ag Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., on Wednesday to discuss potentially moving risk management provisions from the farm bill into reconciliation.
With the Senate introducing its latest budget blueprint Wednesday afternoon, Boozman said the two are still a long way from finalizing these details.
Meanwhile: GOP leaders hope to get the budget resolution through the Senate by this weekend. The blueprint sets vastly different spending cut goals for the Ag committees. The House is expected to find at least $230 billion in cuts over 10 years, while the Senate counterpart would be required to cut as little as $1 billion.
USDA opens applications for 2026 trade promotion programs
USDA is opening the application process for the department’s trade promotion programs: Market Access Program, Foreign Market Development Program, Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, and Emerging Markets Program.
“These programs are a crucial step in sustaining long lasting economic growth in rural America,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.
The application deadline is June 6.
Rollins cuts off USDA funding to Maine amid feud over transgender athletes
Rollins is pausing funding for Maine schools amid an ongoing feud between the Trump administration and state leaders over transgender athletes.
In a letter to Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Rollins says she would freeze funds for “certain administrative and technological functions” in Maine schools, alleging Title IX violations.
She also says USDA is reviewing all research and education funding in Maine, including grants awarded by the Biden administration to the Maine Department of Education.
“This is only the beginning, though you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law,” Rollins said of the freeze.
Senate Ag to consider USDA nominations next week
The Senate Ag Committee will hold a confirmation hearing next Tuesday on Trump’s picks for deputy agriculture secretary and USDA general counsel.
Stephen Vaden has been nominated for deputy and Tyler Clarkson for general counsel. Vaden, a judge at the Court of International Trade, was USDA general counsel during the first Trump administration, while Clarkson was deputy general counsel.
Memo with banned terms wasn’t written by USDA leaders: Spokesperson
Remember that memo to Agricultural Research Service staff with a list of undesirable words and terms, like “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion” and “safe drinking water”? We wrote about the leaked email in Monday’s Daybreak and got a response from USDA.
A USDA spokesperson said: “Make no mistake, under President Trump and Secretary Rollins, USDA is getting back to work and putting farmers first — not woke ideology. The leaked list of terms currently circulating was created by career employees tasked with reviewing active awards to ensure compliance with the President’s priorities and relevant Executive Orders. Leaders at USDA were not involved in drafting this list of terms and did not send that list to anyone.”
Rollins has touted USDA’s efforts to eliminate “wokeness” from USDA, perhaps most flamboyantly when she posted a video of herself throwing away packets of seeds with the USDA logo on them.
The packets had the messages, “Growing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility at USDA” and “If you can be anything, be inclusive.” She said they had been found “behind a door at USDA” before dumping them in a trash can and vowing not to spend money on DEIA.
Final word
"It's such an old-fashioned term, but a beautiful term: groceries. It says a bag with different things in it. Groceries went through the roof, and I campaigned on that." — President Donald Trump at the news conference announcing his tariff plan.
