President Donald Trump announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program to help American farmers offset soaring diesel prices during peak harvest season. Speaking at an October 2026 rally in Kansas for Republican Senator Roger Marshall, Trump addressed agricultural pressures fueled by the conflict with Iran, which has driven national diesel averages to $6.32 per gallon. Administered via the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, the USDA program will offer direct payments based on 2026 crop estimates.
Harvest Fuel Relief Program announcement
- ▪On October 19, 2026, President Donald Trump announced an $8 billion U.S. Department of Agriculture Harvest Fuel Relief Program providing one-time payments to farmers at a Kansas midterm election rally in support of Republican Senator Roger Marshall
- ▪Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins stated that the $8 billion investment through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program aims to provide targeted relief and certainty to farmers during harvest season
Harvest Fuel Relief Program administration
- ▪Crop insurance linkage is not required for the Harvest Fuel Relief Program, though the USDA encouraged producers to utilize risk management tools under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act
- ▪The Harvest Fuel Relief Program is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and will be administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency
Midterm election context
- ▪President Donald Trump's overall approval rating and rankings on policy issues including the economy, jobs, and the war in Iran have slipped ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
- ▪Republicans hold narrow majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate heading into the 2026 midterm elections
Kansas U.S. Senate race context
- ▪The Kansas U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Roger Marshall has been held by the GOP since 1919, marking the longest continuous party hold for any Senate seat
- ▪Incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall faces Democratic opponent Adam Hamilton in a Kansas Senate race rated as a toss-up by Sabato's Crystal Ball and The Cook Political Report
Proposals for direct citizen payments
- ▪President Donald Trump proposed issuing $5,000 checks to all adult American citizens if Republicans retain control of Congress following the 2026 midterm elections
- ▪President Donald Trump announced a planned payment of nearly $100 for over 20 million Medicare enrollees using funds from the Medicare Improvement Fund
Fuel cost pressures from Iran war
- ▪Farm state Republicans urged the Trump administration to address rising diesel costs caused by market disruptions linked to the war in Iran
- ▪Rising diesel fuel prices and increased living costs facing American households have been driven in part by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran
October 2026 fuel price increases
- ▪The national average price for a gallon of diesel fuel reached $6.3187 in October 2026, compared to an average price of $3.63 per gallon one year prior
- ▪In Kansas, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $3.9783 and diesel reached $6.0722, according to AAA data reported in October 2026
Trump actions on diesel fuel
- ▪President Donald Trump stated in October 2026 that he would not authorize a ban on diesel exports despite calls from some Republicans for an export pause
- ▪Earlier in October 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt red-dyed diesel used in farm and construction equipment to help lower fuel costs
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