Heinrich Presses Top Trump Administration Officials on Strategy to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Lower Energy Costs, & Provide Relief for American Producers and Farmers

VIDEO HERE

WASHINGTON - This week, at a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to review President Trump's supplemental budget request, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) pressed top Trump administration officials on the need for a strategy to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect American families from rising energy costs, while demanding that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) relief funds support American producers and farmers - not foreign meatpacking corporations.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, presses top Trump administration officials on the president's supplemental budget request, July 21, 2026.

On the Need for a Strategy to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Protect American Families from Rising Energy Costs:

Senator Heinrich: "General Caine, our military is the best in the world. And so, I don't think any of us should be surprised with the technical execution of its attacks on the Iranian regime's forces. They've been flawless. What I don't want [is] us to confuse flawless technical execution with long-term strategic success. And I think one objective that is relatively modest, because it puts us back to where we were when we started this, but nonetheless is incredibly important as a critical objective, is that I want to see the Strait open again. And I want to see it open where shippers can transit that Strait without being extorted by Iran. And I would love to see that before our commercial and other oil reserves are exhausted because of the impacts that will then have on the pocketbooks of American families. Is that a reasonable objective, and is one - is it one that you share?"

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General John Caine: "I'll defer on the military objectives to the political leaders who set them. What I can tell you is, U.S. Central Command is working hard to ensure that Iran cannot terrorize the southern flank down there. And they're doing so every single day and night. And you and the rest of the Senate would be proud of the actions and activities for the forces that are down there. The character of war is changing, though, like I said in my opening statement. And so, there's a variety of mixed ammunitions that are down there coming at the commercial traffic. But I would like to be clear and unambiguous with you and the rest of the Senate, and the Iranian forces. They have a choice to make, and they should knock it off."

Heinrich: "I have no doubt I would be incredibly proud of the actions of our service members in this conflict. And I hope we can achieve that kind of strategic objection on the timeline that obviously avoids the worst impacts of the limitations of commercial oil supplies right now."

On Ensuring USDA Relief Funds Support American Producers - Not Foreign Meatpacking Corporations:

Heinrich: "Secretary Rollins, I want to shift gears. One of the things that you mentioned in your opening statement, that we appear to agree on, is that there is simply too much consolidation in a number of agricultural sectors. You mentioned fertilizer and seeds, but in particular, I want to talk about the meatpacking industry. Because in a previous Trump administration bailout, about $90 million went to the corrupt Brazilian meat packer JBS. I think that Congress really intended those funds to go to American ranchers. So, I want to ask you, what are you going to do this time around to ensure that the proposed relief dollars that we're talking about today, that those funds go to American producers - instead of to the very foreign corporations who have created the business model where ranchers bear the risk and meat packers reap the profits?"

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins: "Well, that's right, and we're obviously at a seventy-five-year herd low. There are a lot of reasons for that but we're working to solve for that. Number one, the Department of Justice is investigating right now, significantly the four, but especially the two foreign owned. Number two, USDA is investing significant funds in deconsolidating packing and supporting mid-sized and smaller packers around the country. I know that wasn't your question, but just to answer the bigger question, which is a really important one. But from my perspective, what the Trump USDA 2.0 has been hyper-focused on small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers. We have worked really hard on the $40 billion that has already moved through to make sure that goes to where it is intended, which is not multinational foreign agricultural corporations."

Heinrich: "I very much support the efforts of the Department of Justice. I think there is a very important antitrust case to be made here. At the same time, I've watched as your Department has rescinded three important rules that were put in place to protect farmers and ranchers from unfair practices by the large meat packers. Those rules were supported by the American Farm Bureau and the National Farmers Union. Explain that discrepancy to me?"

Rollins: "Which rules? I'm not tracking."

Heinrich: "Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity rule, the Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments rule, and the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rules."

Rollins: "The packers and stockyards, I think, is what you're talking about. So, we are executing an additional review on that. I think that the point is very well made that sometimes that inures to the benefit of the larger corporations. As I have begun to make a larger case, and a more vigorous case, in the importance of deconsolidation. We'll be taking a second look at that. And I would love your input."

Heinrich: "And I would very much support deconsolidation. Thank you."

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