President Donald Trump on Friday announced a series of actions aimed at supporting farmers and food suppliers as rising energy costs continue to pressure the agricultural sector. The plan includes regulatory changes, expanded loan guarantees, and additional relief funding tied to agriculture.
Trump said his administration is working to reduce equipment costs and improve access to financing for farmers across the country. He made the remarks during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, Fox News reported.
“Every day we’re looking for new ways to support our farmers, reduce your costs, and to help lower the price of food for the American family,” Trump said. “We’re going to prove that the golden age of American agriculture is right here and right now.”
Trump also called on Congress to pass a new farm bill and said he plans to request additional funding in the next spending package. He pointed to previous relief efforts funded through tariffs, saying farmers have already received $12 billion in support.
The president criticized the administration of former President Joe Biden, saying past policies hurt the farming industry through regulations and trade decisions. He said his administration is working to reverse those impacts.
Trump said the Environmental Protection Agency will revise guidelines tied to diesel emissions rules that affect farm equipment. The changes are expected to reduce costs for farmers, particularly those relying on modern diesel engines.
The administration also plans to adjust rules involving Diesel Exhaust Fluid requirements and selective catalytic reduction systems used to limit emissions. Trump said those regulations have added financial burdens for farmers.
“It was a basic disaster,” Trump said. Trump also highlighted efforts to expand renewable fuel production tied to agricultural products. He criticized environmental activists while defending the administration’s approach to energy and agriculture policy.
“What they’ve done to you, and the country – what they’ve done to the country – is just incredible,” Trump said. “They are terrorists.”
In addition, the Small Business Administration will expand loan guarantees for small businesses in the agricultural sector. The program will apply to farmers, food suppliers and producers across multiple industries, including livestock and grain operations.
In February, the House of Representatives has passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act by a vote of 390-9, advancing a bipartisan effort aimed at reducing regulatory barriers, modernizing federal housing programs, and increasing the nation’s housing supply.
The legislation, co-sponsored by House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AK), and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), now moves to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain but bolstered by the overwhelming House margin.
The bill cleared the House Financial Services Committee in December before receiving near-unanimous support on the House floor. Lawmakers from both parties described the measure as a targeted response to housing shortages and rising costs that have strained households nationwide.
According to a summary released by the committee, the Housing for the 21st Century Act directs the Government Accountability Office to identify gaps and inefficiencies in existing federal housing programs, updates the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, reduces regulatory obstacles that lawmakers say have slowed housing development, and provides banks with greater flexibility to deploy capital toward expanding housing supply.
House Speaker Mike Johnson framed the legislation as part of a broader effort to address affordability concerns.
“Housing costs have soared beyond the reach of millions of American families thanks to Bidenflation, while outdated and burdensome red tape has constrained our nation’s affordable housing supply and limited our ability to expand it,” Johnson said. “Today’s House passage of the Housing for the 21st Century Act is a critical step toward addressing this shortage by reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers, modernizing HUD programs, and giving banks flexibility to deploy capital to increase our housing supply.”
