Republicans have a rare disagreement with Trump over his proposal to import red meat
WASHINGTON — Republicans on both sides of the Capitol are publicly and privately opposing President Donald Trump’s idea to import beef from Argentina, with some making direct appeals to the White House to reverse course.
The issue came up during Senate Republicans’ visit to the White House on Tuesday, according to Majority Leader John Thune, R-D., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. Fisher said she also met with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday to discuss her concerns.
“The matter has been brought up,” Thune told reporters. “I represent a beef-producing state. We have four times more cattle than we have population.”
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he was considering having the United States buy beef from Argentina. “We will buy some beef from Argentina, and if we do that, it will bring down our beef prices,” he said.
Republicans in Congress, who rarely criticize the president, have been open about their concerns.
“I’m really concerned about the direction the president’s comments have shown he might take,” Fisher said when NBC News asked about her message to Trump and his administration.
she Posted on X on Tuesday She said she had “deep concerns” about the proposed policy, saying: “I strongly encourage the Trump administration to focus on trade deals that benefit our agricultural producers — not imports that do more harm than good.”
Sen. Markwayne Mullen, R-Oklahoma, who runs a beef-calf operation in his state, said he told Trump on Wednesday that even though cattle prices are low, foreign-owned meatpacking facilities set the price Americans pay at the table.
“I think the president has certainly identified the problem that we have,” Mullen said. “But the conversation, you know, is much larger, and the president and I had a great conversation about that topic today.”
On the House side, during a GOP conference call on Tuesday, Rep. Harriet Hagman of Wyoming, who has a large presence of ranchers in her district, raised concerns about importing beef from Argentina, according to a GOP source familiar with the meeting, and told her colleagues she wanted more information on the topic.
Eight Republican members of the House of Representatives also sent a letter to the White House on Tuesday, requesting more information about the decision, saying that “any import policy should hold foreign suppliers to the same stringent standards” to which American industries are held.
“Introducing beef from countries with inconsistent safety or inspection records could undermine the trust that American ranchers have worked for decades to earn,” the House letter continued.
“In recent days, we have heard concerns from producers about reports that the United States may import beef from Argentina,” Rep. Julie Fedorchak, RN.D., wrote of the letter sent to Trump, “My@HouseGOPI joined my colleagues in seeking clarification on the superintendent’s plans.
Retired Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told NBC News that the proposal was not popular in his state, where livestock production is the leading agricultural industry.
“Our ranchers have struggled for many years, and now it is one of the few bright spots in our agricultural economy,” he said. “After the administration loaned $40 billion to Argentina, and after China bought all its soybeans from Argentina instead of the United States, the suggestion that we need to buy more beef from Argentina is flying like a lead balloon.”
Despite the concerns, Trump does not appear to be backing down. He posted on his Truth Social website on Wednesday that his tariffs “saved” U.S. ranchers
“The ranchers, whom I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing well, for the first time in decades, is because I have imposed tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% tariff on Brazil,” he wrote. “If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they have done for the last 20 years – it’s terrible! It would be good if they understood that, but they also have to lower their prices, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking as well!”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, acknowledged that there are members in his conference who are concerned about the effects on U.S. beef producers. After Hagman raised her concerns about the call, she reached out to the US Trade Representative and the White House, “and they are having those thoughtful discussions,” he said.
Johnson then went on to defend Trump’s trade policy broadly.
“The White House does not want any unintended consequences,” Johnson said during his press conference. “What they are trying to do is improve the lives of ordinary Americans, get our economy working again, and make sure that we are treated fairly by trading partners around the world. There are a lot of complexities and a lot of moving parts when you talk about trade agreements, renegotiating old trade agreements between more than 100 countries at once. But they have done an extraordinary job, and they are working to improve all of these details.”