Op-Ed: Rep. Randy Feenstra: How President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” delivers for farmers

For four years under the Biden administration, rural communities were left behind, if not completely forgotten. Farmers faced a nearly $50-billion agricultural trade deficit, record high inflation squeezed budgets, and net farm income fell by roughly $41 billion — the largest two-year decline in U.S. history.

These challenges occurred at the same time as President Joe Biden approved costly electric vehicle mandates on farmers, proposed eliminating stepped-up basis in his yearly budget, and saddled rural Iowa with more red tape like his egregious Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. It’s no surprise that rural Americans voted in overwhelming numbers for President Donald Trump.

With the election of President Trump, farmers once again had an advocate and an ally in the White House. In just the first few months of his administration, President Trump signed legislation overturning California’s radical electric vehicle mandates, delivered critical financial relief to our producers, and announced that the EPA would rewrite WOTUS to give farmers clarity and let them raise crops and livestock without burdensome regulations. These are some of many examples depicting the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to agriculture and rural America.

Now, President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” will secure even more victories for farmers and agriculture. This historic legislation invests nearly $50 billion in the farm safety net, increases outdated reference prices for commodities like corn and soybeans, improves the Dairy Margin Programs for our dairy producers, and strengthens crop insurance with higher, yet more affordable, levels of coverage. It also includes my bills to lower the cost of crop insurance for the next generation of Iowa farmers, delivers additional relief for producers from the death tax, and help our community banks provide low-cost loans to farmers and agricultural businesses.

These provisions will spur economic growth, create jobs, and keep our farmland in the hands of Iowa farmers, not China or our foreign adversaries.

Additionally, our “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” fully funds the three-legged stool of animal health, which includes the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank.

Together, these initiatives support foreign animal disease prevention, mitigation, and response, and are vitally critical to combatting illnesses like bird flu and African Swine Fever. Moreover, we increased the small business deduction for qualified business income from 20 percent to 23 percent and made it permanent, which will help family farms keep more of their money and pass the farm from one generation to the next.

In conjunction with the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” President Trump has rolled out an aggressive and highly successful trade agenda that prioritizes new export markets for agriculture and greater accountability from our trading partners. Gone are the days that American farmers, businesses, and manufacturers are taken advantage of by foreign industry. The unprecedented trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom secured $750 million in U.S. ethanol exports and $250 million in U.S. beef exports while Vietnam agreed to purchase $800 million in Iowa agricultural products. Those are results directly attributed to President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ work to secure strong trade deals for American farmers and producers. But those important wins are not the end of the story. Secretary Rollins has trade missions planned to Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and other nations in the near future, ensuring that agriculture has a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation when these deals are negotiated and secured.

Under the Trump administration, agriculture will have access to more export markets, farmers will see lower taxes, and rural communities will experience more growth and investment. President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” and his America First trade policies are the culmination of the promises that he made on the campaign trail. America’s heartland is no longer forgotten; it is a top priority for President Trump and Republicans in Congress.

Rep. Randy Feenstra represents Iowa’s 4th District in Congress.