EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

MORE AT EDUCATIONMINNESOTA.ORG.

>> ERIC: WELCOME BACK TO "ALMANAC."

WE'VE GOT AG COMMISSIONER THOM PETERSEN STANDING BY, A MIDDLE EAST EXPERT IS HERE WITH THE LATEST, AND WE'LL TALK SPORTS WITH LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR.

>> CATHY: BUT WE'RE STARTING TONIGHT WITH U.S. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE ANGIE CRAIG OF MINNESOTA'S SECOND DISTRICT.

WE'VE GOT A LOT TO COVER WITH THE TOP DEMOCRAT ON THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, SO LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN.

WELCOME BACK TO "ALMANAC," REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG.

>> IT'S SO GOOD TO BE BACK.

>> YOUR DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES THINK YOU AN GET A FARM BILL DONE BY SEPTEMBER.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK THEY'RE OPTIMISTIC.

I THINK SOME OF IT DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS, MOVING FORWARD THE TAX BILL.

THEY WANT TO CUT N THE HOUSE, $230 BILLION FROM MY COMMITTEE, AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS BY ROLLING BACK S.N.A.P.

BENEFITS FOR NEEDY AMERICANS.

SO, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

I CERTAINLY WANT TO GET A FARM BILL DONE.

I'VE EXTENDED MY HAND TO THE CHAIRMAN TO WORK WITH HIM ND CERTAINLY WITH EVERYTHING HAPPENING, WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE TARIFFS, WITH THE FROZEN CONTRACTS, WITH THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY REN'T HONORING, BOY, MY FARMERS AND OUR FARMERS NEED HELP.

>> Cathy: I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP S.N.A.P., BECAUSE, OF COURSE, NUTRITION PROGRAMS ARE ROLLED INTO THE OVERALL FARM BILL.

IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST.

MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT OF THAT FARM BILL.

SHOULD THEY?

>> NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

THE COALITION THAT HAS COME TOGETHER ARE THE FAMILY FARMERS THAT GROW THE FOOD, AND THE NUTRITION ADVOCATES AND ALL OF THE GROCERY STORES AND THE TRUCK DRIVERS WHO DRIVE IT, IT'S ALL A COALITION, THINK ABOUT IT.

$28 BILLION GOES TO FAMILY FARMERS FROM THAT S.N.A.P.

INVESTMENT.

EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN S.N.A.P.

BRINGS BACK A $1.50 TO THE U.S. CONOMY.

IT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND WE GET TO FEED NEEDY SENIORS, VETERANS, AND HUNGRY CHILDREN.

>> IMPACT OF TARIFFS ON THE FEDERAL AG ECONOMY.

>> WELL, THE UNCERTAINTY IS DRIVING BUSINESSES AND FAMILY FARMERS CRAZY.

THIS ACROSS-THE-BOARD TARIFF ONE DAY AND THEN PULLING IT BACK THE NEXT MAKES PLANNING COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS FOR FAMILY FARMERS.

I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU PLANT AT THIS -- PLAN AT THIS POINT IN TIME?

LOOK, WHEN THE PRESIDENT DID THIS BEFORE IN HIS FIRST ADMINISTRATION, $30 BILLION IN EXPORTS FROM OUR FARMERS WENT TO SOME OTHER COUNTRY.

PEOPLE JUST -- MEXICO, CHINA, THEY JUST DIDN'T BUY FROM US.

AND RIGHT NOW THAT IS WHAT IS AT RISK IN OUR COUNTRY, AND, LOOK, SOME TARIFFS COULD BE STRATEGIC.

FROM TIME TO TIME.

BUT THE ACROSS-THE-BOARD TARIFFS AND THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMEHOW GOING O STABLIZE THE AMERICAN ECONOMY, THEY'RE NOT FOCUSED ON LOWERING COST AND THAT'S WHAT THEY PROMISED TO DO.

>> Eric: REFRESH OUR MEMORY, IN THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, DIDN'T THEY DO THAT SOME TARIFFS, AND DID IT END UP BEING DIRECT PAYMENTS TO FARMERS AS KIND OF A MAKEUP.

>> YEAH, NO, THEY HURT FARMERS LIKE CRAZY AND DID SOMETHING CALLED A MARKET FACILITATION PROGRAM, WHERE $27 BILLION FROM THE COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION WAS PAID TO FAMILY FARMERS.

THAT FUND ONLY HAS $4 BILLION IN IT RIGHT NOW.

SO, FARMERS ARE HURTING, AND, REMEMBER, ERIC, FARMERS ARE NOT IN AS GOOD A SHAPE AS THEY WERE AT THE START OF THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

COMMODITIES PRICES ARE LOW, CORN, SOYBEANS, REALLY IMPORTANT TO MINNESOTA.

AND INPUT COSTS ARE REALLY HIGH.

THE PRESIDENT PROMISED TO COME IN AND LOWER THE COST FOR BUSINESSES AND EVERYDAY AMERICANS, AND THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING BUT THAT.

THEY'RE MAKING IT WORSE.

>> Cathy: SAY, A FEDERAL JUDGE TODAY BLOCKED THE DISMANTLING OF THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGENDA'S BEING PUSHED THROUGH, AS YOU KNOW, VIA EXECUTIVE ORDER, THEN BEING MEDIATED BY JUDICIAL ACTION.

I'M WONDERING, HOW MUCH LASTING DAMAGE DO YOU THINK IS BEING DONE TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, BECAUSE OF CONGRESSIONAL INACTION?

>> WELL, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS, IS THAT MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE GIVING UP THE POWER OF LEGISLATING.

I MEAN, THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE CO-EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.

I'M LOOKING FOR THREE PATRIOTS, STILL, IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT CAN STAND UP TO THIS ADMINISTRATION.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM A JUDICIAL PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE SO FAR WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN SOME WINS.

I KNOW IT TAKES TIME.

I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO BUILD THESE THINGS BACK.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S.A -- USAID, BEING CHALLENGED IN COURT, DISMANTLING THAT, CONGRESSIONALLY APPROPRIATED PROGRAM.

BUT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE DEMOCRATS AND ALLIES ARE FIGHTING BACK AND WE'RE WINNING.

>> Eric: ABOUT YOUR FUTURE, YOU'RE ON A PATH, IF AND WHEN DEMOCRATS TAKE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, TO JOIN BOB BERGLIN, COLLIN PETERSON AS A MINNESOTAN CHAIRING THE HOUSE AG COMMITTEE.

WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO RUN FOR SENATE?

>> WHY ON EARTH?

LOOK, THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, TOO, ARE FANTASTIC.

AND THEY HAVE BEEN SUCH A BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO SERVE.

I'M TALKING TO MINNESOTANS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT'S THE RIGHT DECISION FOR ME TO OFFER MYSELF TO SERVE ALL OF MINNESOTA.

WHAT I DO KNOW, ERIC, IS THAT I NEED TO BE IN THE IGHT AND WHEREVER THAT FITS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT THAT WE HAVE TO STAND UP TO THIS ADMINISTRATION ON OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE PLUS YEARS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REBUILD THIS COUNTRY.

AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVE THAT, YOU KNOW, MY STYLE OF FOCUSING INTENSELY ON PEOPLE'S POCKETBOOK ISSUES, WHETHER YOU CAN PUT MORE MONEY IN THEIR POCKET, LOWER COST AND KEEPING OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE, WHETHER THAT'S FROM GUN VIOLENCE OR FROM THE SCURGE OF FENTANYL IS WORKING IN THE SECOND DISTRICT, WHICH IS A D PLUS 1 DISTRICT.

>> Eric: WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO MAKE A DECISION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER?

>> IT WILL BE WEEKS, CERTAINLY, BUT NOT MONTHS.

AND IN THE MEANTIME, LOOK, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I CAN DO IS TO KEEP TALKING TO THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

IN FACT, I'M STILL -- BECAUSE I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE THREE PATRIOTS ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE AISLE, NOT ONLY AM I GOING TO HAVE AN N-PERSON TOWN HALL IN MY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, HERE, DURING THE NEXT APRIL DISTRICT WORK PERIOD, BUT I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GO TO THE OTHER FOUR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, REPRESENTED BY MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES.

BECAUSE IF THEY WON'T COME AND FACE THE VOTERS, I THINK THEIR VOTERS DESERVE SOMEBODY FROM CONGRESS TO COME TALK TO THEM.

>> Cathy: IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH SHE MIGHT BE THINKING, POSSIBLY, ABOUT GETTING YOURSELF IN FRONT OF OTHER VOTERS, SAY, STATEWIDE, PERHAPS.

>> WELL, I AM.

AND I'LL SEE.

AND THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT SOON.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

THANK YOU.

>> Eric: WE'LL AWAIT YOUR