ICYMI: Secretary Rollins, Administrator Zeldin, and Administrator Loeffler Pen Joint Op-ed in Newsweek “President Trump Is Strengthening Farmers’ Rights”

(Washington, D.C., February 6, 2026) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Small Business Administrator (SBA) Kelly Loeffler, and U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin published a joint opinion piece in Newsweek highlighting how President Trump is strengthening farmers' rights, cutting regulations, and lowering costs.

"Earlier this week, the Trump administration set the record straight on the right to repair, paving the way for annual operating costs on the farm to drop by 10 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance to manufacturers reaffirming the agency's position that the Clean Air Act (CAA) supports-rather than restricts-Americans' ability to repair their own farm equipment," said Secretary Rollins and Administrators Lee and Loeffler. "There is no better advocate for the needs of the American farmer than President Trump, and this guidance is proof that we are not slowing down. In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, we will continue to put farmers first and protect their right to repair. The future of our republic depends on it."

Read the full piece below.

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The right to repair isn't just a slogan. It's a common-sense extension of the fundamental, constitutional right to private property, which has been recognized and vigorously protected since the founding of the United States 250 years ago. As Thomas Jefferson affirmed, "The true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen in his person and property and in their management."

No one appreciates the importance of those rights more than the men and women who feed, fuel and clothe us day in and day out-by the sweat of their brow and with the help of mechanical equipment that's become practically indispensable.

But when that equipment breaks down and remains out of operation, it means crops aren't planted or harvested, mouths aren't fed and America's economy and national security are put at risk.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration set the record straight on the right to repair, paving the way for annual operating costs on the farm to drop by 10 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance to manufacturers reaffirming the agency's position that the Clean Air Act (CAA) supports-rather than restricts-Americans' ability to repair their own farm equipment.

For years, prominent equipment manufacturers have interpreted the CAA's emission control anti-tampering provisions as preventing them from making essential repair tools available to all Americans. As a result, instead of making a repair in the field or at a nearby independent repair shop, farmers have been forced to take their equipment to manufacturer-authorized dealers to be fixed. Not only has this made repairs more costly, it has also caused many farmers to opt for older agricultural equipment that lacks modern emission controls simply because they can fix that equipment themselves.

An overwhelming majority of farmers-a staggering 95 percent-believe they should have the ability to fix their own equipment. That's why the Trump administration is giving our agriculture communities the freedom they need to thrive.

The guidance could not be more clear-manufacturers can no longer use the Clean Air Act to justify limiting access to repair tools or software. This includes making repairs to Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) systems on nonroad diesel engines. EPA is working to build upon the DEF guidance it released last summer, which reversed deratements and protected diesel equipment operators from DEF system failures. In the meantime, the right to repair guidance will allow farmers to fix broken DEF systems at home or in the fields, saving them time and money.

Like so many of President Trump's victories over the past year, this is about cutting red tape, expanding consumer choice and lowering input costs.

Since 2020, capital expenditures on vehicles and machinery have increased over 45 percent. This isn't just because farmers are buying more equipment. After all, the entire farm economy plummeted in the four years of the previous administration's failed leadership, and the total number of farmers has also fallen.

The Biden administration's policies drove up inflation and ignored the needs of farmers and ranchers. President Trump is determined to turn things around in both the short term and the long term. The right to repair guidance is a critical part of the solution, and we expect it to deliver approximately $48 billion in total savings for American farmers. Before today, a single repair would cost farmers about $33,000-and that doesn't even factor in the time away from the field or the consequent loss of yield.

In America, the timely, affordable maintenance of agricultural equipment should not be a luxury-it should be a given.

There is no better advocate for the needs of the American farmer than President Trump, and this guidance is proof that we are not slowing down. In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, we will continue to put farmers first and protect their right to repair. The future of our republic depends on it.

Lee Zeldin is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. Brooke L. Rollins is U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Kelly Loeffler is U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator.

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