GOP Rep. Justin Amash slams Trump over farm aid: 'Republicans used to oppose bailouts'

One Republican lawmaker is calling President Trump's farm aid just another bailout that his party should not embrace.
Trump on Monday said he would be authorizing a second round of relief for farmers who have been hurt amid the ongoing trade war with China, reports Politico. In response, Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) said on Twitter he doesn't understand why his fellow Republicans are supporting this because his party "used to oppose bailouts." Many Republican lawmakers criticized bailouts for the auto industry in 2008, but few have publicly criticized Trump's farm plan. Now, Amash said, the GOP simply calls them "market facilitation payments."
Amash went on to say that Trump's "big-government trade policy" has hurt farmers and ranchers, and now, he's "responding with even bigger government."
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With this second round of spending, Trump will have spent $9.6 billion on relief for farmers, per The Washington Post.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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