INDIANAPOLIS – Rep. Braun continues to downplay the crippling effects of new tariffs on Hoosier businesses, saying that manufacturers should “give [tariffs] a little time to work out” as companies lay off Hoosier workers and threaten to leave the country as a result.
In a recent interview with the Washington Examiner, Rep. Braun made clear that he’s not concerned with the impact of tariffs on Hoosier businesses and farmers. In the interview, he chided companies for thinking about the “short run” and that only successful people “know how to see the long run” when it comes to tariffs. He made similar “long run” comments in an interview published today with Howey Politics.
Hoosier farmers and manufacturers, however, seem worried about the short term effects. While some farmers have already been promised $12 billion this year to soften the blow of the tariffs, they’re forcing some manufacturers to contemplate moving production out of the country laying off workers as a result.
That’s true across Indiana, including Rep. Braun’s hometown of Jasper, where Kimball Electronics has made clear they’ll be forced to move production out of the country if a solution on tariffs isn’t reached. Other Indiana companies like Cummins and Brinly-Hardy
“Rep. Braun loves to claim he’s an expert on issues affecting Hoosier farmers and manufacturers, but here’s a quick tip for him: They can’t afford to give new tariffs ‘a little time to work out.’ Hoosier farmers’ crop yields will be determined in the next few months – right as the tariffs are biting the most – and one bad year could ruin their livelihoods,” said Michael Feldman, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party. “Rep. Braun’s blind optimism on these tariffs shows he’s either ignorant, out-of-touch, or completely indifferent to how much damage is being done.”
###
