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Peterson concerned about $12 billion trade aid

The Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee has intimate knowledge of USDA’s $12 billion-dollar trade aid proposal.  And, Collin Peterson says the relief package could do more harm than good.

During a Minnesota Congressional candidate forum Tuesday, Congressman Peterson (DFL) said he had breakfast with USDA Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue the morning after the Trump Administration announced a plan to help offset producer losses caused by trade disruptions.

“In that breakfast, he recounted discussions with economists and people at the Department that they did on Monday trying to figure out what they’re going to do with this (and) how they’re going to come up with the $12 billion.”

Peterson tells Brownfield he was sworn to secrecy.

“But I can say this, from what I’ve been told I think this is going to be a situation where it’s going to going to cause potentially as many problems as it solves.”

Without specifics, he says USDA is trying to determine how much each ag sector was damaged.

“And that’s not an easy thing to do.”

Peterson expects details of the trade relief package to be unveiled sometime between mid-August and the first of September.