{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/2025/10/reps-sewell-s-nchez-lead-54-democrats-demanding-answers-on-20-billion-argentina-bailout", "Reps. Sewell, S\u00e1nchez Lead 54 Democrats Demanding Answers on $20 Billion Argentina Bailout", "2025-10-21", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri A. Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", "sewell", "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2014 Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. S\u00e1nchez (CA-38), and 54 of their Democratic colleagues yesterday called on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide immediate answers regarding the Trump Administration\u2019s $20 billion bailout of Argentina.\n\nThe members expressed concerns that the bailout is an inappropriate use of U.S. taxpayer funds to influence Argentina\u2019s upcoming election in favor of President Trump\u2019s political ally, Argentine President Javier Milei. They also highlighted the bailout\u2019s detrimental impact on American farmers, particularly soybean producers, and a potential conflict of interest involving a close associate of the Trump administration who stands to financially benefit from the arrangement. Adding to the outrage, President Trump suggested yesterday that the U.S. government would purchase beef from Argentina, a direct betrayal of American ranchers.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump and his administration is once again selling out the American people to help his wealthy friends and political allies,\u201d said Ranking Member Sewell. \u201cBillions of Americans' taxpayer dollars are being sent to support the political prospects of Argentine President Javier Milei while President Trump continues to try to strip away healthcare from millions of working families in the U.S. The American people deserve answers.\u201d\n\nThe members wrote in part, \u201cPresident Trump has explicitly conditioned the bailout on the electoral success in this month\u2019s elections of President Milei\u2019s party. The U.S. Treasury\u2019s authorities to address international financial crises, which are meant for situations that present a genuine U.S. national interest, should not be used to influence elections abroad. In this regard, President Trump has not only conditioned the loan on President Milei\u2019s electoral prospects, but he has also noted that the United States will not benefit from the bailout.\u201d\n\nThe members continued, \u201cDue to the Trump Administration\u2019s failed trade policy, China purchased almost no American soybeans from May to August of this year. As American farmers struggle, Brazil has set records in its soybean exports to China and Argentina is following suit after capitalizing on the Trump administration\u2019s promise of a bailout. American farmers need relief. American farmers need restored market access.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Ranking Members Sewell and S\u00e1nchez, the letter was signed by Representatives Don Beyer (D-Va.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Bradley Schneider (D-Ill.), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.).\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and follows:\n\nDear Secretary Bessent,\n\nWe write to express significant concerns with the Trump Administration\u2019s bailout of Argentina, including by purchasing an undisclosed amount of Argentine pesos and providing a $20 billion loan. These actions are an explicit effort to support the political prospects of Argentine President Javier Milei, a political ally of President Trump. We are also concerned by the administration\u2019s misuse of American taxpayer dollars, the bailout\u2019s negative impact on American farmers and an apparent conflict of interest.\n\nYour announcement to do whatever is needed to support Argentina\u2019s economy, appears to be an effort to unduly influence Argentina\u2019s democratic elections scheduled for next month. In fact, you have stated that the $20 billion loan would function as a \u201cbridge to the election\u201d and that you had been in contact with several U.S. companies that would invest in Argentina conditioned on \u201cpositive\u201d election results. Moreover, President Trump has explicitly conditioned the bailout on the electoral success in this month\u2019s elections of President Milei\u2019s party. The U.S. Treasury\u2019s authorities to address international financial crises, which are meant for situations that present a genuine U.S. national interest, should not be used to influence elections abroad. In this regard, President Trump has not only conditioned the loan on President Milei\u2019s electoral prospects, but he has also noted that the United States will not benefit from the bailout.\n\nIn addition to our concerns about your misuse of Treasury\u2019s authorities, the administration\u2019s bailout has helped Argentina increase its trade with China \u2014 at the direct expense of American farmers. As you are aware, text messages between you and a \u201cBR,\u201d who appears to be Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, raise concerns that the bailout for Argentina empowered it to export more to China while undercutting American farmers. Just days after the bailout was announced, Argentina dropped its export taxes on various agricultural products and sold at least 20 shiploads (or roughly 1.3 million tons) of Argentinean soybeans to China. The text message states \u201cWe bailed out Argentina yesterday and in return, the Argentine\u2019s are removing their export tariffs on grains, reducing their price, and sold a bunch of soybeans to China, at a time when we would normally be selling to China. Soy prices are dropping further because of it. This gives China more leverage on us.\u201d\n\nAmerican soybean farmers are struggling since being locked out of China\u2019s market. In 2024, China purchased more than half of the U.S.\u2019 total soybean exports. Yet, due to the Trump Administration\u2019s failed trade policy, China purchased almost no American soybeans from May to August of this year. As American farmers struggle, Brazil has set records in its soybean exports to China and Argentina is following suit after capitalizing on the Trump Administration\u2019s promise of a bailout. American farmers need relief. American farmers need restored market access.\n\nWe are also concerned by the apparent conflict of interest you have in negotiating a financial agreement that would bail out the Argentine economy. According to media reports, one of your friends and former colleagues, Robert Citrone, has invested heavily in Argentinean bonds and equities in Argentinean companies and, therefore, stands to lose from an Argentine default. In fact, just days before your announcement of the $20 billion bailout for Argentina, Citrone purchased more Argentine bonds. American taxpayer dollars must not be used to enrich the political allies of the Trump Administration.\n\nIt is troubling that the Trump Administration is bailing out Argentina while telling American families that the United States cannot afford basic health care investments at home. The American people deserve better. We request full and immediate answers to the following questions:\n\nHow many Argentine pesos did the U.S. Treasury purchase?\n\nWhat are the specific terms of the administration\u2019s $20 billion loan?\n\nWhat, if any, agreement has Argentina made to cancel its credit arrangements with China before receiving financial support from the United States?\n\nWhat is the status of U.S.-China trade negotiations, particularly as it pertains to reopening market access for American farmers?\n\nWhat safeguards are in place to ensure that a U.S. financial assistance package to Argentina does not amount to undue election influence?\n\nWhat measures has the Treasury Department taken to ensure that U.S. taxpayer funds are not misused to benefit the Trump administration\u2019s political allies or personal associates, such as Robert Citrone?\n\nWe look forward to your response.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/2025/10/reps-sewell-s-nchez-lead-54-democrats-demanding-answers-on-20-billion-argentina-bailout"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7044472731649876, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}