White House invites farm state lawmakers to discuss tariffs
BY LINDSAY WISE, The Sacramento Bee
lwise@mcclatchydc.com April 10, 2018 01:01 PM
Updated April 10, 2018 02:51 PM
WASHINGTON
Members of Congress from farm states have been invited to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss the impact on rural America, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts said Tuesday.
The meeting comes amid fears from American farmers and ranchers that their very livelihoods could be in jeopardy if a trade war erupts.
China announced last week it would impose retaliatory tariffs on soybeans, corn, and more than 100 other U.S. products in response to tariffs the Trump administration is threatening to impose on Chinese-made products.
The White House did not immediately respond to request for confirmation or comment.
“I don’t know how many of us are going but I know I am going,” Roberts told the Kansas City Star. “I understand some House members are going too. So I hope it isn’t a crowd of 30 that just say okay, here are the aggies.”
Roberts said he hoped the meeting wouldn’t just be “a lot of speeches.”
