Republican Congressman Waves Off Farmer's Viral Plea to Fix Agriculture Funding Freeze: 'This Administration Promised They Would Be Disruptive'

A Missouri farmer, on the brink of financial ruin due to the Trump administration's USDA funding freeze, pleaded for answers only to be met with a Republican lawmaker's shrug.

Skylar Holden, a first-generation cattle farmer, had his $240,000 USDA conservation contract frozen due to a broad federal review of spending programs.

Juggling a full-time job and three kids while investing $80,000 in farm upgrades he expected to be reimbursed for, Holden, who voted for Trump, turned to TikTok to vent his anxieties. His story quickly went viral.

When asked about Holden and the farm-worker crisis on CNN, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged the disruption but argued it shouldn't be a surprise, as Trump is following through on his promises.

"I would say is Congress that the government needs to do a better job at working for the American people. Too often it seems like the American people is working for the government," Smith said. "It's unfortunate that this is the case. I've been talking with several farmers that have been experiencing this and and trying to help help guide them through this process, but it's all going to work out. Right now, it's a little bit disruptive, but that's what this administration promised whenever they were coming to Washington—that they would be disruptive."

Holden admitted he relied on an online quiz to decide on voting for Trump, a revelation that drew criticism online. Many commenters told him he was experiencing the consequences of his own decision. Others expressed sympathy and pointed to the difficulty farmers are facing navigating unpredictable policy shifts.

"I've already done a bunch of the work, already paid for the material and the labor, so I'm out all that cost," Holden said. "We are possibly going to lose our farm if NRCS doesn't hold up their contract with us."

The USDA has yet to clarify when, or if, Holden's contract will be honored. Meanwhile, Holden and farmers across the country are stuck in limbo, tangled in a bureaucratic freeze that threatens their livelihoods.