In First Debate of 2020, Smith Shows Complete Disregard for Difficulties Farmers are Facing
August 4, 2020
EAGAN, Minn. — U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis released the following statement after facing off with Senator Tina Smith during Minnesota FarmFest’s virtual U.S. Senate forum.
“I was pleased to highlight my accomplishments for the agricultural community during the 115th Congress and explain my plans to support Minnesota farmers in the United States Senate in these challenging times.
For decades, the Democratic Party has pretended to be an ally to farmers, but as one their own leaders used to say, ‘that dog won’t hunt.’ Years of failed, globalist policies and out of touch politicians concerned with catering to the New York and Hollywood elite have failed Minnesota’s farmers time and time again. And there is nobody that embodies these failures more than Senator Tina Smith.
Tina Smith’s lack of understanding on the issues that matter most to Minnesota’s agricultural community was on full display today during the FarmFest debate. While I have visited eight farms, ethanol plants and held roundtables this spring, Tina Smith has been to only one farm. By hunkering down in Hennepin County, she shows her complete disregard for the difficulties family farms are having with these overreaching ‘lockdowns’ she still supports. No wonder Tina Smith refuses to denounce Governor Tim Walz’s dismissive and arrogant description of Greater Minnesota as ‘mostly rocks and cows.’
Tina Smith has put politics in front of policy—whether COVID relief or the USMCA, both of which she helped delay. Unlike Smith, I have been a vocal advocate for farmers: pushing for crop insurance to be extended to livestock farmers, delisting dangerous predators, repealing WOTUS, doubling the estate tax exemption, voting for the Farm Bill twice, and calling for protections for Red River Valley sugar beet farmers. I am also vehemently opposed to the Green New Deal—but while Smith said today she too was against it, that’s not how she voted when the issue was up in the Senate. Refusing to stand up to the radicals in her party by voting ‘nay,’ she instead voted ‘present’ on the measure.
The contrast between Tina Smith and I could not be clearer. Tina Smith lives in an urban ‘lockdown’ bubble, completely disconnected from the reality our farmers are facing. Our agricultural community deserves a leader that will listen to their concerns, understand their challenges, and fight for them every day. I look forward to being their fiercest advocate when I am elected to the U.S. Senate.”
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