Senator Tammy Baldwin urges reversal of $20 billion aid plan to Argentina, calls for focus on U.S. farmers

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who represents Wisconsin, and a group of Senate Democrats have urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to extend an additional $20 billion in financial aid to Argentina, arguing that the move undermines struggling U.S. farmers.

In a letter led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) and Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and co-signed by 18 other lawmakers, the group said the administration’s plan to double an earlier $20 billion currency swap line with Argentina “prioritizes a foreign nation over the needs of American farmers and rural communities.”

The senators pointed to recent shipments of soybeans from Argentina to China as evidence that expanded financial support for Buenos Aires could further erode market access for U.S. agricultural exports. “Instead of prioritizing U.S. farmers and rural communities, the Administration has doubled down on aiding Argentina when family farmers are running out of time,” the letter stated.

The lawmakers warned that the aid decision comes at a time when U.S. farmers face mounting challenges from tariffs, rising input costs, and declining export opportunities. They said retaliatory trade measures have already diminished U.S. competitiveness in key markets such as China, where purchases of American soybeans, corn, wheat, and sorghum have sharply declined compared with typical volumes.

“With relatively large harvests and some remaining stocks from 2024, the harvest in many areas is expected to fill the grain bins quickly,” the senators wrote, noting that some farmers may be forced to store grain in temporary conditions that could risk spoilage and price discounts.

The letter calls on Treasury Secretary Bessent and the administration to halt additional aid to Argentina and to “focus on restoring and expanding long-term export market access for American farmers.”