Good afternoon,
It has been a busy week with Republican House Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson <a href='[link removed]'>questioning Trump's workforce cuts</a>, USDA employees being placed <a href='[link removed]'>on leave</a>, and the Trump Administration sending <a href='[link removed]'>groups of low-risk migrants to Guantanamo Bay.</a>
Here are a few important updates ...
A CHIILLING CPI REPORT
Yesterday, the <a href='[link removed]'>January CPI Report</a> was released, providing definitive proof of the uncertainty and turbulence Americans are experiencing during the transition to the Trump Administration. The 3% year-over-year jump in inflation for January was significantly higher than expected. The CPI jumped 0.5% from December, making it the <a href='[link removed]'>fastest monthly increase</a> since mid-2023. Grocery prices also skyrocketed, largely due to national egg shortages. Despite pledging to <a href='[link removed]'>bring down egg prices on day one</a>, the price of eggs has climbed by <a href='[link removed]'>15.2%</a> in just four weeks under President Trump.
The rising inflation, combined with the President Trump's aggressive tariffs, proposed tax cuts, increased deficit spending, and deregulatory fervor have raised concerns about the future of the U.S. economy. The pocketbooks of rural Americans are <a href='[link removed].'>especially sensitive</a> to inflation, particularly fluctuations in gas and grocery prices. The president's erratic policy actions undermine his leadership and put the economy on uncertain footing. The Trump Administration must prioritize financial certainty and security for hard-working Americans rather than instigating trade wars with our allies and adding additional strains to an economy already showing signs of weakness.
A RURAL (.GOV) OUTAGE
For the past 10 days, <a href='[link removed]'>rural.gov</a>, the portal that provides rural America with access to government resources for economic development, infrastructure projects, and job creation has been offline. The federal government has provided no explanation as to why the site is offline, opting for a short banner stating the 'website is currently undergoing maintenance' and is 'temporarily unavailable.' The banner also includes a link to 'read more,' but provides no details. Rural Americans have been left to their own devices, unable to access necessary government resources. We must demand transparency and answers from the Trump Administration and the DOGE staffers who are likely behind this outage.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Reconciliation - Created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the reconciliation process allows for expedited consideration of certain tax, spending, and debt limit legislation. Specifically, this process allows for the passage of budget-related items without being subject to a Senate filibuster. This week House Leadership started the clock on reconciliation by sending budget instructions to the committees that will draft the proposed extension of the Trump tax cuts. In short, this extension would add at least $4.8 trillion to the national debt in tax cuts – financial transfers from the Federal government to the wealthiest Americans – and at least an additional $4 trillion in interest payments for the national debt these tax cuts would generate. This proposal would push the ratio of debt to as much as 129-percent of GDP, a number only previously reached at the height of the economic shocks from COVID in early 2021, and higher than at any point during WW2.
LOOKING AHEAD
Confirmation Hearings are underway for Trump nominees. Some key positions are listed below:
Thursday, February 1310 a.m.: Linda McMahon, Secretary of EducationThe hearing was streamed on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee <a href='[link removed]'>webpage</a>.
The Senate has confirmed for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and the Senate Judiciary committee confirmed Kash Patel for FBI Director, moving his nomination ahead.This afternoon, Trump is set to announce his '<a href='[link removed]'>reciprocal tariff</a>' plans, which may hit U.S. allies hard.
WHAT WE'RE READING
Brownfield Ag News: <a href='[link removed]'>Uncertainty Grows as Farm Bill Stalls </a>The Daily Yonder: <a href='[link removed]'>How to Survive a Trade War </a>Heartland Signal: <a href='[link removed]'>New report reveals potential impact of Trump tariffs on Heartland</a>The Daily Yonder: <a href='[link removed]'>Study: Rural Homelessness Is Underestimated and Exacerbated by Opioid Epidemic</a>
Be sure to follow the One Country Project on <a href='[link removed]' target='_blank'>Twitter</a> and <a href='[link removed]' target='_blank'>Facebook</a>, and listen to <a href='[link removed]' target='_blank'>The Hot Dish</a> podcast.
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