Jennifer Balkcom Was “Working Together” With DC Politicians That Backed Policies Such As Tariffs And The Iran War, Causing Fertilizer And Agricultural Diesel Prices To Skyrocket In North Carolina

August 2026: Balkcom Said She Was “Working Together” With The NRCC To Run For Congress

VIDEO: August 2026: Balkcom Said She Was “Working Together” The NRCC To Fundraise And “Get Out The Message” Of Who She Is. INTERVIEWER: “Can you briefly tell me how will the fundraising piece work? And I forgive me if I mess up. The NRCC, is that the that's the acronym? Can you tell me what that is? What kind of money are they pledging? And I know you're working with them closely.” BALKCOM: “We are working together. Um hopefully something will be coming out soon because we want to make sure we're gathering all this right now to uh to kind of announce that sooner than later.” INTERVIEWER: “Can you explain what that is to the public?” BALKCOM: “Just uh working with them to uh get on the fun phone call, raise money, work with uh supporters and getting out the message of who I am.” [WLOS News 13, YouTube, 3:11, 8 /13/26] (VIDEO)

August 2026: The NRCC Congratulated Balkcom And Encouraged People To Vote For Her. ‘Congratulations to Jennifer Balkcom! Balkcom will deliver results for Western North Carolina by strengthening the economy, supporting farmers & securing the border. Remember to VOTE for @JenBalkcom in the General Election on Tuesday, November 3.’ [NRCC, Twitter, 8/10/26]

Image: see original report, p. 44

[NRCC, Twitter, 8/10/26]

House Republicans Voted Multiple Times To Keep Tariffs In Place That Raised Prices On Essential Goods For North Carolina Families

March 2025: New York Times: ‘House Republican Leaders On Tuesday Quietly Moved To Shield Their Members From Having To Vote On Whether To End President Trump’s Tariffs.’ ‘House Republican leaders on Tuesday quietly moved to shield their members from having to vote on whether to end President Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, tucking language into a procedural measure that effectively removed their chamber’s ability to undo the levies.’ [New York Times, 3/11/25]

  • Reuters: The Procedural Vote Blocked ‘The Ability Of Congress To Quickly Challenge Tariffs Imposed By President Trump That Have Rattled Financial Markets.’ ‘The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to block the ability of Congress to quickly challenge tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that have rattled financial markets. […] The provision was tucked into a procedural vote related to the Republicans' six-month stopgap funding bill.’ [Reuters, 3/11/25]

April 2025: House Republicans Pushed A Procedural Rule That Would Curb Congress’s Power To Override Trump’s Tariffs. ‘Republicans are quietly pushing a procedural rule that would curb the power of the US Congress to override Donald Trump’s chaotic tariff policy. The House of Representatives’ rules committee on Wednesday approved a measure that would forbid the House from voting on legislation to overturn the president’s recently imposed taxes on foreign imports.’ [The Guardian, 4/9/25]

September 2025: House Republicans Extended A Maneuver That Stripped Congress Of The Power To Disapprove Of The President’s Tariffs. ‘House Republicans extended a maneuver they engineered earlier in the year that effectively strips Congress of the power to disapprove of President Trump’s tariffs. The Republican-led House moved anew on Tuesday to relinquish Congress’s power to weigh in on President Trump’s tariffs, even as Democrats in the Senate prepared to force votes challenging his trade war. The maneuver by House Republicans effectively stripped lawmakers of the ability to force action on lifting the tariffs until March 31, 2026, extending a prohibition they initially imposed in the spring to spare their members a politically tough vote.’ [New York Times, 9/16/25]

Tariffs Could Cost North Carolina’s Agricultural Sector, The State’s Largest Industry, More Than $700 Million And About 8,000 Jobs, Concentrated In Rural Areas, While Total Losses Were Estimated At $1.9 Billion, Over 2% Of State GDP, And Farmers Faced Bankruptcy

John Locke Foundation: Tariffs Could Cost North Carolina’s Agricultural Sector, The State’s Largest Industry, Over $700 Million And About 8,000 Jobs, Concentrated In Rural Areas

Carolina Journal Headline: “Report Warns Tariffs Could Cost NC Farms $700M, 8,000 Jobs.” [Carolina Journal, 1/13/26]

Citizen Times Headline: “Tariffs Could Wipe Out Nearly A Third Of NC Farm Income, New Report Says.” [Citizen Times, 1/22/26]

Politico Headline: “Trump’s Trade War Has Hurt Farmers. There Are New Warning Signs For Republicans.” [Politico, 3/2/26]

John Locke Foundation: Trump’s Tariffs “Could Lead To Nearly $700 Million In Losses And Approximately 8,000 Jobs Affected In North Carolina’s Agricultural Sector, The State’s Largest Industry.” “A new report out this week examines the potential economic effects of tariffs implemented during the Trump administration, estimating they could lead to nearly $700 million in losses and approximately 8,000 jobs affected in North Carolina’s agricultural sector, the state’s largest industry, which contributes $111.1 billion annually to the economy. The report, ‘How Tariffs Threaten North Carolina Agriculture’ from Carolina Journal’s publishing organization, the John Locke Foundation, found potential losses of up to $695 million to the state’s farming industry, representing approximately one-third of the average net farm income in the state, says the press release out on Monday. Economic losses in the state resulting from trade policy retaliation have the potential to exceed $1.9 billion, or 2% of the state’s GDP.” [Carolina Journal, 1/13/26]

  • John Locke Foundation Report On Tariffs: “Job Losses Would Be Concentrated In North Carolina’s Rural Communities.” “‘How Tariffs Threaten North Carolina Agriculture: NC Farmers at Risk,’ authored by Jeffrey Dorfman at North Carolina State University, estimates the tariffs could cost the state’s farmers about $695 million. […] ‘Such a contraction would lead to a total of roughly 8,000 lost jobs, both directly in the agriculture industry along with the ripple effects from that lost revenue,’ Dorfman wrote. ‘The job losses would be concentrated in North Carolina’s rural communities.’ Other indirect effects on the state’s rural economy would result in an additional $1.2 billion in estimated revenue losses, Dorfman wrote. This brings the potential total economic losses as a result of trade policy retaliation to $1.9 billion, which is more than 2% of North Carolina’s gross state product. Donald Bryson, CEO of the Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank, said the organization commissioned the study because it has become increasingly concerned about the effect of recent agricultural policies on the state’s food supply chain.” [Citizen Times, 1/22/26]
  • The John Locke Foundation’s Report Found Losses Represented “Approximately One-Third Of The Average Net Farm Income In The State.” “The report, ‘How Tariffs Threaten North Carolina Agriculture’ from Carolina Journal’s publishing organization, the John Locke Foundation, found potential losses of up to

$695 million to the state’s farming industry, representing approximately one-third of the average net farm income in the state, says the press release out on Monday.” [Carolina Journal, 1/13/26]

John Locke Foundation: Accounting for Indirect Effects, The Total Economic Losses From Tariffs Facing North Carolina Were $1.9 Billion, Over 2 Percent Of The State GDP

John Locke Foundation: Accounting for Indirect Effects, The Total Economic Losses From Tariffs Facing North Carolina Were $1.9 Billion, Over 2 Percent Of The State GDP. “‘How Tariffs Threaten North Carolina Agriculture: NC Farmers at Risk,’ authored by Jeffrey Dorfman at North Carolina State University, estimates the tariffs could cost the state’s farmers about $695 million. This figure represents roughly a third of average net farm income in North Carolina. ‘Such a contraction would lead to a total of roughly 8,000 lost jobs, both directly in the agriculture industry along with the ripple effects from that lost revenue,’ Dorfman wrote. ‘The job losses would be concentrated in North Carolina’s rural communities.’ Other indirect effects on the state’s rural economy would result in an additional $1.2 billion in estimated revenue losses, Dorfman wrote. This brings the potential total economic losses as a result of trade policy retaliation to $1.9 billion, which is more than 2% of North Carolina’s gross state product. Donald Bryson, CEO of the Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank, said the organization commissioned the study because it has become increasingly concerned about the effect of recent agricultural policies on the state’s food supply chain.” [Citizen Times, 1/22/26]

North Carolina And American Farmers Faced Bankruptcy And Worse Economic Conditions From Tariffs And Funding Cuts, And One Farmer Said The Tariffs “Could Drive Up My Costs Considerably” In The Long-Term

Purdue University Headline: “Farmer Sentiment Drops Sharply At The Start Of 2026 As Economic Concerns Increase.” [Purdue University, 2/3/26]

2026: A Purdue University Survey Showed Farm Bankruptcies Soaring And Farmers’ Sentiment About Their Industry Sharply Declining. “Over the past five months, the Trump administration has rolled out trade agreements it says will give farmers access to new markets and reopened Chinese purchases of millions of pounds of soybeans after a trade war-induced, monthslong boycott. It also spearheaded an effort to get $12 billion in direct payments to farmers to recover some of their losses amid the president’s trade war. But farmers’ sentiment about their industry has seen sharp declines over a similar stretch, according to a monthly survey conducted by Purdue University — the predominant way their perception of the U.S. agricultural economy is tracked — and new data shows farm bankruptcies soaring.” [Politico, 3/2/26]

  • 2026: A Purdue University Survey Found Farmers Expected Conditions To Worsen In The Next Year Than To Improve, And 50% Of Those Polled Said Their Operations Were Worse Off In January 2026 Than A Year Ago. “Purdue’s farmer sentiment barometer showed that more farmers expected conditions to worsen in the next year than to improve. And half of the farmers surveyed said their operations were worse off in January 2026 than a year ago, the last month of the Biden administration.” [Politico, 3/2/26]
  • Department Of Agriculture & American Farm Bureau Federation: 15,000 Farms Shut Down By The End Of 2025 And Bankruptcies Were Up By Nearly 50%. “The pressure on farmers has already taken a toll. There were 15,000 fewer farms at the end of 2025, according to the Department of Agriculture, compared to the same point in 2024. Farm bankruptcies also increased by 46 percent year-over-year in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.” [Politico, 3/2/26]

North Carolina Farmers Faced Bankruptcy And Closure As A Result Of Tariffs And Funding Cuts. VOICEOVER: “New government freezes, cuts, and tariffs has farmers contemplating closure.” FARMER: “If farmers don't have those subsidies, uh most of us, we're fighting going broke now. We're we're not making money here.” VOICEOVER: “Farming bankruptcy filings jump 55% in 2024. More than 5 billion in federal cuts would seem to paint a bleak forecast for smalltown farmers like Mike.” [CNN, 0:00, uploaded 4/28/25] (VIDEO)

A North Carolina Farmer Said In The Long-Term Tariffs “Could Drive My Cost Up Considerably” If Other Farmers Also Cut Back On Purchasing Inputs Such As Fertilizer And Production Is Cut. HOST: “What major concerns do you have about the long-term impact of these tariffs?” NC FARMER: “If there is an agricultural uh back and forth on the tariffs, domestic production could be affected. If my peers who produce corn, wheat and soy and and uh purchase inputs um fertilizers, lime, other agricultural uh things, energy, if they decide that it's not uh worth the risk, they may cut back production, which in a year or two could drive my cost up considerably if we have less um commodities available that we use.” [CNN, 0:40, uploaded 4/28/25] (VIDEO)

WRAL Headline: “North Carolina Farmers Brace For Impact As New Tariffs Threaten Rising Costs.” [WRAL, 4/13/25]

WTVD Headline: “NC's Agriculture Industry Braces For Potential Effects Of Tariffs.” [WTVD, 4/7/25]

Charlotte Post Headline: “‘We’ve Come This Far,’ But Black Farmers Face Uncertainty.” [Charlotte Post, 1/28/26]

Tariffs Increased The Price Of Seeds, Fertilizer, And Farm Equipment, Further Squeezing North Carolina Farmers

New York Times: Tariffs Had Increased The Price Of Seeds And Fertilizer. ‘Growers are also contending with tariff-induced price increases on seeds and fertilizer, some of which is imported from Russia and Canada. Prices for monoammonium phosphate, a fertilizer with both nitrogen and phosphorus, are up 14 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.’ [New York Times, 10/26/25]

  • Politico Headline: “Farmers Are Feeling The Heat As Trump’s Tariffs Spike Fertilizer Prices.” [Politico, 8/20/25]
  • Tariffs Had Increased The Price Of The Fertilizer Monoammonium Phosphate By 14 Percent. ‘Growers are also contending with tariff-induced price increases on seeds and fertilizer, some of which is imported from Russia and Canada. Prices for monoammonium phosphate, a fertilizer with both nitrogen and phosphorus, are up 14 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.’ [New York Times, 10/26/25]
  • Bloomberg: Tariffs Had Increased The Costs Of Potash And Nitrogen Based Fertilizer. ‘Fertilizer prices are surging, eroding American farmers’ profits and adding pressure on the Trump administration to slash tariffs on key crop nutrients. Tightening supplies and tariff concerns have driven up costs for potash-, nitrogen-, and phosphate-based products just as farmers are earning less for their harvests. A North American benchmark of fertilizer prices recently surged to its highest level since at least 2016 relative to a basket of grain and oilseed futures — topping even the highs seen at the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.’ [Bloomberg, 8/28/25]

August 2025: Two Farm Equipment Makers Warned Of Higher Prices For Tractors And Combines Due To Tariffs. ‘Farmers will soon start feeling the impact from President Donald Trump’s tariffs in the form of higher prices for the machines used to plant, treat and harvest fields. That’s the warning from AGCO Corp. and CNH Industrial NV. With duties on the rise, the equipment makers will increasingly be forced to pass along the extra costs — both to farmers in the U.S. and to those elsewhere in the world. For instance, some of AGCO’s high-end Fendt tractors and combines are built in Europe, where the E.U. bloc accepted a 15% tariff on most of its exports to the U.S. Rather than letting the price of one model spike, AGCO is instead moving to smooth it out across its offerings.’ [Bloomberg, 8/1/25]

House Republicans Voted Multiple Times To Keep The Iran War Going, Despite The War Causing Fertilizer Costs To Skyrocket, Straining North Carolina Farmers

May 2026: NPR Headline: “Republicans Call Off Vote On Iran War Resolution That Was On The Verge Of Passing.” [NPR, 5/22/26]

  • The War Powers Resolution Would Rein In The President’s Military Action In Iran. “Republicans struggled Thursday to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to

withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June. The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Trump's military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it. It was the latest sign of the slipping support in Congress for a war that Trump launched more than two months ago without congressional approval.” [NPR, 5/22/26]

July 2026: Associated Press: “The Vast Majority Of Republicans In Both Chambers Voted To Back The [Iran] War And Cede Congressional War Powers To Trump.” “The House on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending a warning to President Donald Trump for the second time as the war has escalated and the future of the conflict is increasingly uncertain. […] The House resolution passed after a handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to end the war. But the vast majority of Republicans in both chambers voted to back the war and cede congressional war powers to Trump.” [Associated Press, 7/23/26]

The Iran War Hit North Carolina Farmers Hard, Sending Fertilizer And Agricultural Diesel Prices Soaring And Prompting Farm Groups To Seek A Bailout

The Iran War Hurt Farmers As The Closure Of The Strait Of Hormuz “Sent Fertilizer Prices Skyrocketing,” Which “Could Lead To Lower Crop Yields” And Led Farm Groups To Ask For A Bailout

The Closure Of The Strait Of Hormuz Due To The Iran War “Sent Fertilizer Prices Skyrocketing Just Ahead Of Planting Season,” Which “Could Lead To Lower Crop Yields.” “Farmers in Pennsylvania, North Dakota and other agriculture-heavy states are feeling the impact of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which sent fertilizer prices skyrocketing just ahead of planting season. Some producers have had to shake up their plans last minute and plant new crops that are less reliant on fertilizer. The scramble could lead to lower crop yields, which potentially means higher food prices this summer, North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue said.” [Politico, 3/29/26]

Farm Groups And The Agriculture Lobby Asked The White House And Congress For A Bailout “To Cover Mounting Fertilizer Costs” And Additional Costs From Tariffs. “Farmers have long been loyal to the GOP and Trump. But the war now poses another massive financial headache on top of the tariffs that have increased their production costs and evaporated markets abroad where they could sell their crops. […] A chorus of farm groups — including the often Trump-aligned American Farm Bureau — petitioned the White House for a bailout last week. And the agriculture lobby is requesting an ad hoc aid package from Congress to cover the mounting fertilizer costs.” [Politico, 3/29/26]

WRAL News Headline: “NC Farmers Feel Strain From Rising Fertilizer Costs And Low Supply Amid Iran War.” [WRAL News, 3/29/26]

ABC 11 Headline: “From War To Drought: North Carolina Farmers Caught In The Middle: ‘Pinching Pennies.’” [ABC 11, 3/26/26]

A North Carolina Farmer Said He Expected To Pay More For Fertilizer Due To The Iran War, Saying “I Have To Buy Fertilizer, Probably, In May Or June, And I Expect To Have To Pay More, Because The Price Of Fertilizer Just Rides The Curve With Oil.” “John Harmuth might be the jolliest farmer customers may see at the State Farmer's Market in Raleigh. ‘God told me I shuold [sic] be a grower when I was 11 years old,’ Harmuth said. After more than 30 years of weathering the unpredictability that comes with the career, Harmuth said it was that callling [sic] that helped hime [sic] continue growing and selling a number of herbs, flowers, shrubberies and other produce. According to Harmuth, fertilizer is what helps him and other farmers maintain that ability to sell what they grow. ‘We can't grow what we grow without fertilizer,’ Harmuth said. But as the Iran War prepares enters its second month, farmers in North Carolina said it could begin to strain the resources necessary for their crops to grow. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. companies import about 18% of the nitrogen fertilizer sold here. Many of the key compounds and nutrients needed for the fertilizer pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which was cut off by Iran after the war began. Harmuth told WRAL News that he bought fertilizer last year for the products he sells at the farmer's market in 2026, so while he hasn't felt an impact from the war yet, it is weighing on him. ‘I have to buy fertilizer, probably, in May or June, and I expect to have to pay more, because the price of fertilizer just rides the curve with oil,’ Harmuth said.” [WRAL News, 3/29/26]

The Iran War Increased The Price Of Agricultural Diesel Fuel, Raising Operational Costs For North Carolina Farmers

A North Carolina Farmer Said Of The Iran War’s Effects On Agricultural Diesel Fuel, “My Diesel Fuel For My Tractors Has Went Up $2 A Gallon Over The Last Four Weeks. And The Diesel Fuel For My Trucks And Road Tractors, It's Gone Up From $3.39. I Paid $5.59 This Morning. That's A Bigger Problem.” “The war between the United States and Iran is now rippling through North Carolina's agricultural industry, creating new uncertainty for farmers already facing tough conditions. While much of the nation's attention has been on rising oil and gas prices, the ongoing conflict and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route, are also disrupting fertilizer supplies essential for American farmers. ‘My diesel fuel for my tractors has went up $2 a gallon over the last four weeks. And the diesel fuel for my trucks and road tractors, it's gone up from $3.39. I paid $5.59 this morning. That's a bigger problem,’ said Alan Williams, a fifth-generation farmer in Person County. With planting season just weeks away, Williams and others are bracing for a season of difficult choices.” [ABC 11, 3/26/26]

A North Carolina Farmer Said The Iran War Caused The Price Of Fertilizer And Agricultural Diesel Fuel To Spike, Raising Operational Costs. “North Carolina farmers are juggling a lot from tariffs to rising operation costs and now a war impacting the globe. ‘Fertilizer, it ebbs and flows. It spiked during COVID and then kind of settled. Now we're expecting continued upward trends. This year we paid about 16% more than we did last year,’ farmer Michael Fine of Seven Sisters Farm said. But fertilizer isn’t the only thing. Fine says if he filled up on agricultural diesel fuel just three weeks ago, he would’ve spent less already. ‘Right off the bat that's about $500 and more than we would have paid last year, just by missing the unknowns by a couple of weeks,’ Fine said. Operation costs for farmers have been steadily increasing for the last several years. Fine says it's been about 30%. ‘Petro has went up and down. We're in a spike right now. Seed has been in a steady raise. We detected probably about a 10% price increase from last year. Insurances are up to absorb the higher cost of running the operation,’ Fine said. All of that ultimately puts a strain on farmers.” [Spectrum News 1, 3/13/26]

Spectrum News 1 Headline: “North Carolina Farmer Is Paying Attention As War In Iran Impacts Fertilizer, Diesel Gas Prices.” [Spectrum News 1, 3/13/26]

Source report (PDF)