Biggs and Schweikert’s Cost-Hiking Tariff Votes Are Milking Arizona’s Dairy Industry Dry

As National Dairy Month wraps up this June, Arizona’s $1 billion dairy industry, made up of more than 80 farms, is facing a crisis. Local family dairies supply 97 percent of the milk in Arizona grocery stores, yet Andy Biggs and David Schweikert have repeatedly voted to continue the cost-hiking tariff agenda that is squeezing dairy farms. 

In Casa Grande, fourth-generation dairy farmers at Desperado Dairy are witnessing these price hikes firsthand because of feed and fuel costs, noting: “Milk price doesn’t really change, but the cost to produce always is changing.”

Tariffs backed by both Biggs and Schweikert have driven up the price of farm machinery and fertilizer, while their votes to continue the war in Iran have doubled fuel expenses and kept feed prices climbing. 

Despite the damage piling up on Arizona's family farms, neither career Washington politician has shown any willingness to change course. Biggs has called tariffs “a brilliant economic strategy” and argued that the tariffs were “not inflationary,” before claiming that Washington has “tamed inflation,” and stating that he would like to “explore [tariffs] more.” Schweikert bragged about personally “doing the calculations” with the White House on tariffs and proposed his own new tax instead of offering Arizonans relief.

Copper State Victory spokesperson Nicholas Simões Machado said:

“Andy Biggs and David Schweikert have repeatedly backed the same Washington cost-hiking agenda that is driving up expenses for Arizona dairy farmers. From farm equipment and fertilizer to fuel and feed, their votes are making it harder for farms to stay afloat—and Arizonans are paying the price."

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