Farmer bail outs. Good or bad policy?

You are wrong:
The auto industry bailout was fiercely debated in Congress. Yet the USDA created this new program out of thin air; it decided that an old law authorizing a USDA program called the Commodity Credit Corp. already gave it the authority to spend this money.

"What's unique about this is, [it] didn't go through Congress," Glauber says. Some people have raised questions about whether using the Commodity Credit Corp. for this new purpose is legal.

Glauber sees a risk of "moral hazard" — a situation in which someone is shielded from the consequences of poor decisions. The decision to start the trade war was costly, he says, and the Trump administration, by tapping the federal Treasury, is avoiding the political fallout from that decision. "The sector that is hurt the most, and which would normally complain, all of a sudden it's assuaged by these payments. To me, that's a problem," he says.

THAT is why I have a problem with this. Pretty much no oversight. No debates. No limits. Throwing OUR cash around on basically a welfare program with no way to get it back. The fact it hasn't raised any eyebrows on either side of the aisle is also alarming. So much for fiscal responsibility of the GOP. Just look at the deficit. It was a "crisis" when Obama was POTUS yet it no longer is a crisis even though it grows even greater under this "fantastic economy".

 

I understand this. My point is more specific as relating to the quote “Trump money”. I work with and live with farmers 24-7 and I’ve never heard anyone use this phrase and yet there it is. Completely objective, I’m sure. LOL.

 

No, most are blaming a decades long crappy trade agreement that no one prior to Trump had enough stones to address specifically because it was going to be a rough transition period. Most farmers realise this and respect Trump for making a stand.

 

You may be right, for now. The link below is from last August and supports your comment. But, everyone has their breaking point. How long can those farmers continue to take losses? Well, as long as the cash rolls in from bail outs I guess all is cool eh? But how long can that cash keep flowing?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/me...-trump-s-tariff-fight-don-t-think-it-n1041166

 

From the WAPO article listing the "concerns" by anonymous sources (as usual).

Senior government officials, including some in the White House, privately expressed concern that the Trump administration’s nearly $30 billion bailout for farmers needed stronger legal backing, according to multiple people who participated in the planning.
The bailout was created by the Trump administration as a way to try to calm outrage from farmers who complained they were caught in the middle of the White House’s trade war with China. In an attempt to pacify farmers, the Agriculture Department created an expansive new program without precedent.
As part of the program, the USDA authorized $12 billion in bailout funds last year and another $16 billion this year, and Trump has said more money could be on the way.
But two Agriculture Department officials involved in the bailout program told The Washington Post they were worried the funding could surpass the original intent of the New Deal-era Commodity Credit Corporation, which is being used to distribute the money. The CCC, as it is known, had previously been used only to create substantially more limited programs. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional repercussions.

That's the extent of the concerns? Pardon my yawns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_Credit_Corporation

Looks pretty legitimate to me, they are using a long-established government program for the
purpose of doing exactly what it was designed to do. No Congressional oversight is needed.
Just a cursory perusal shows it matches at least two objectives of the program.

Income Support and Disaster Assistance – Income support and disaster assistance programs provide financial assistance to protect farmers and ranchers from fluctuations in market conditions and unexpected natural or man-made disasters. Assistance is provided through income support programs, disaster assistance programs, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). FSA is responsible for administering income support and disaster assistance programs.

Foreign Market Development – Expanding markets for agricultural products is critical to the long-term health and prosperity of the U.S. agricultural sector. With 95% of the world’s population living outside the United States, future growth in demand for food and agricultural products will occur primarily in overseas markets. The CCC funds used in the market development programs play a critical role in helping to open new markets and in facilitating U.S. competitiveness and by doing so, help to secure a more prosperous future for American agriculture. Support for economic development and trade capacity building reinforces these efforts by helping developing countries to become economically stable and improve their prospects to participate in and benefit from expanding global trade in agricultural products. FAS administers the CCC foreign market development programs.


I fail to see the problems you think exist.
A. In no case would Congress be involved in administering or in performing oversight of this program.
2. It is meant to provide a quick response to financial need, not to have that aid stuck in Congress.
III. They are allowed to borrow up to $30 billion and we're talking half of that so they aren't over budget.

Btw, there was never any Congressional debate on this program since FDR created it by executive order
and you can't possibly have a problem with Saint Roosevelt's work.