HYDE-SMITH, COMMITTEE REVIEW TRUMP SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST FOR AGRICULTURE, DEFENSE

HYDE-SMITH, COMMITTEE REVIEW TRUMP SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST FOR AGRICULTURE, DEFENSE

Senate Appropriations Committee Assesses $11.1B Request for Ag Assistance, $70B for Defense Readiness

VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Questions Agriculture Secretary Rollins About Continued Assistance Payments for Farmers.
VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Questions Defense Secretary Hegseth on Supplemental Funding Request and FY2027 Shipbuilding Budget.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Tuesday questioned Trump administration officials on the utility of Congress providing supplemental appropriations this year to bolster national security and continue agricultural assistance for row and specialty crop producers.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hyde-Smith participated in a hearing to review President Trump's request for supplemental funding, including $11.1 billion for temporary economic assistance for farmers and approximately $70 billion to sustain military readiness and critical capabilities upgrades.

Regarding assistance to farmers, Hyde-Smith signaled her support for continuing to provide bridge payments to help producers overcome low commodity prices and escalated input costs.

"Our row crop producers, as you've mentioned in your opening remarks, are truly in a serious situation. I've talked to multi-generation farmers back home who are the best of the best that did not even plant this year because they could not make the numbers work. And producers in Mississippi and nationwide continue to face these economic conditions," Hyde-Smith told Rollins. "If we want the next generation to stay on the land, we're going to have to take this opportunity to provide this critical market assistance for our farmers and enact policies that build structural demands for commodities, like the Buying American Cotton Act and year-round E15. All of which would make the paths better, more favorable for these producers going forward."

Rollins discussed the need for bridge payments and administration actions to bring down input costs.

"As of today, ensuring that we can keep these farmers farming while we're opening the markets, while we're bringing down the cost of inputs is paramount for a secure America. And that's why this is so important today," Rollins said.

On the Department of Defense request, Hyde-Smith also said the supplemental request lines up with her support for the nation's warfighters. She also sought Hegseth's input on the future of domestic shipbuilding.

"I, as well, am committed to ensuring that our war fighters have all the tools necessary to accomplish the mission in Iran and whatever else that they need to defend our nation's interests. The supplemental request is in line with that goal," Hyde-Smith said.

Hyde-Smith questioned the Defense Department's FY2027 budget request for a single DDG 51 destroyer instead of the two destroyers desired by naval leadership, as well as the long-term impact on U.S. shipbuilding as the Navy explores using allied shipbuilders and foreign fabricators.

"The department is exploring options for using allied shipyards and overseas fabrication in future naval construction, which raises questions about the long-term role of the American naval industrial base or shifting work away from domestic ship builders - shipyards like Ingalls in Mississippi," Hyde-Smith said. "They need the confidence that the work will be there so they can invest in new facilities, hire and train skilled workers, and expand capacity that we will need in the future."

Hegseth pointed to his earlier testimony about the need to accelerate mission capabilities overall to overcome past funding shortfalls and lack of investment in the military during previous administrations. The Trump administration has requested a more than $1.5 trillion defense budget in FY2027.

"You just you just made the case for this generational investment because of the underinvestment, Senator, in shipbuilding in the previous administration - just static flat bureaucratic, slow. We're having to revitalize that industry and one DDG is a reflection of a backlog in capability. So, as we ramp on more CA [Contract Administration] capacity, those numbers of DDGs, the workhorse of our Navy, will go up as we grow that force," Hegseth told Hyde-Smith.

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