GOP lawmaker fires back at Trump over farm aid

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) on Monday night fired back at President Trump over the president’s $12 billion farm aid package, calling it a “bailout.” 

“My fellow Republicans used to oppose bailouts,” Amash wrote, responding to Trump’s tweet from earlier in the day. “Now, they euphemistically call them ‘market facilitation payments.'”

{mosads}”@POTUS’s big-government trade policy hurt many farmers and ranchers, and he’s responding with even bigger government,” Amash added.

My fellow Republicans used to oppose bailouts. Now, they euphemistically call them “market facilitation payments.” @POTUS’s big-government trade policy hurt many farmers and ranchers, and he’s responding with even bigger government. https://t.co/rwXrpaEZ28

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) December 17, 2018

Trump earlier on Monday announced that his administration was planning to disburse a second tranche of aid as part of a package meant to assist American farmers harmed by retaliatory trade measures enacted by China and other foreign governments.

Trump in the tweet referred to the aid package as “market facilitation payments.”

“Today I am making good on my promise to defend our Farmers & Ranchers from unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations,” Trump tweeted. “I have authorized Secretary Perdue to implement the 2nd round of Market Facilitation Payments. Our economy is stronger than ever–we stand with our Farmers!” 

Some in the GOP have spoken out against the aid package, saying it is a temporary solution to the ongoing woes experienced by farmers amid the U.S.’s ongoing trade war with China.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement Monday that farmers “are continuing to experience losses due to unjustified trade retaliation.”

“This assistance will help with short-term cash flow issues as we move into the new year,” Perdue said.

The Trump administration in July announced that it would dole out the aid package to farmers in installations. 

The second portion of the aid was briefly stalled by the administration over concerns about its cost, Reuters reported.