Hearings to examine increasing domestic consumption of United States-grown agricultural products.

Senate 119th · March 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106 · Scheduled

Loading Senate video...

Witnesses (6) Show all +
Boozman, John: Good afternoon, and it's my privilege to call the meeting to order. I thank my colleagues for joining us today. I also want to thank our witnesses for being here. Many of you farm, and we all know that it's an important time of the year for you to be on the farm as you prepare to plant your next crop. Today's hearing comes at a time of great financial stress for America's farmers. If you're putting something in the ground, you're probably losing money. It doesn't matter what you're planting or where you're planting it, no row crop is currently profitable. In my home state of Arkansas, the last three years have been absolutely punishing, and again, that goes across the board with our row crops and all of agriculture, except for cattle. Arkansas now holds the unfortunate distinction of leading the nation in Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies, a sobering statistic. I remain committed with my colleague, Senator Hoeven, from North Dakota, and literally everyone on the committee to pursue additional financial assistance for our farmers to lengthen and widen the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program that President Trump announced in December, which is so, so very important. The recent history of high input costs, high labor costs, and high interest rates, coupled with lower prices and significant trade headwinds for certain commodities should give us all a good reason to think about what the future of agriculture in the United States should look like. It's clear that China is not a dependable trading partner and that Brazil is doing everything that it can do to take over the agricultural markets that traditionally have been dominated by the United States. I commend the administration for pursuing new markets and holding our trading partners accountable. Agricultural trade must remain a high priority, one of the highest priorities for the United States. Expanding market access and developing new trading partners is crucial to the success of American producers and our rural communities. However, our recent experiences made me think about how we can build more robust domestic markets that will not subject our producers to the whims of foreign governments. This hearing is intended to begin that conversation. My hope for today is that we start exploring new domestic opportunities for our farmers. What are the impediments limiting domestic consumption? What incentives would be helpful? Are there legal, regulatory, or procedural obstacles at the federal, state, or local level that need to be addressed? Is the tax code structured in a way to make American-grown commodities more attractive? Do we have the necessary processing infrastructure? In the coming weeks and months, the committee will continue to explore this topic. I intend on discussing this topic with processors, manufacturers, and retailers as well. Domestic market development will remain a priority of this committee as long as I'm chairman. Again, I want to thank my colleagues and our witnesses for being here today and now recognize my friend and colleague, Senator Klobuchar.

This transcript is free.

Create an account to access the full transcript with speaker identification, synchronized video, and search.

Create Free Account
Or browse other hearings with transcripts