While attending the Washington Watch, KC Sheperd had the opportunity to sit down with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin in his D.C. office to discuss the plethora of legislative issues impacting agriculture today.
“The biggest thing that we work with here in D.C. is building relationships,” he said. “Our unofficial, but official job is being the liaison between the House and the White House and the Senate.”
He explained that his relationship with Speaker Johnson, President Trump, and Senate Majority Leader Thune allows him a unique opportunity to make sure legislation that needs to get through gets through, and to make sure legislation that doesn’t gets stopped.
“When you start talking about reconciliation and delivering the president’s promises, there are unique differences between how the House operates and how the Senate operates,” he detailed. “We have to work together because we want to deliver for the president, and then the president has his priorities too. He had eight priorities listed, now he has thirteen. To try to get that through reconciliation and to get the cuts that the American people want and we want is difficult, so dealing with all of those issues keeps me hopping – usually about eighteen to twenty hours per day.”
According to Mullin, the president regularly puts in 21 hours a day, so he strives to match that effort as closely as possible. “I don’t know when the guy sleeps!” Mullin said. “So, he makes us work at the same pace because I don’t want this guy to outwork me. I’ve always said I’ll never let a man outwork me, but I think President Trump just might do that.”
Sheperd brought up the concerns of Oklahoma producers regarding DOGE cuts to USDA programs, and specifically things like NASS reports, ag mediation, FSA offices, and OSU extension programs.
Senator Mullin replied, “We have to reorganize the way we are doing it. Too many of our farmers are dependent on the government at this point. If you look at any farmer out there, they just want to be left alone, but we have too many regulations, too much red tape, and too many people going onto their farms trying to tell them how to farm.”
He emphasized the size of the ag department building and the thousands of employees who man it and questioned how many of them have ever been involved with any aspect of farming, yet are charged with making decisions for the nation’s agricultural industry.
“Since it is so big, the best way we can get a handle on it is to say, ‘Let’s quit what we are doing – that is the definition of insanity – and restructure it all,’” he stated. “Overall, the idea is to make our farmers and our farms healthy, strong, and financially stable again, but we need to get the waste out of the way and focus on the product and the farmer himself.”
About budget reconciliation and the likelihood of a farm bill, Mullin was positive, saying that progress is being made on the farm bill. “Both House and Senate Ag Committees are working, but we’re three-quarters of a mile away, and that’s three-quarters of a mile in Eastern Oklahoma, not Western Oklahoma!” he said with a laugh. “It takes a little bit longer.”
He pointed out how important it is to the Ag Committees to deliver a farm bill, but clarified the biggest hindrance lies in the relatively small size of the agricultural language as compared to the overwhelming size of the subsidies related to everything other than farming that is being crammed into the farm bill.
“Every different kind of program you can imagine is being thrown into the farm bill,” he clarified. “We are trying to shrink that side and make the farm bill more about farming. At the same time, we still have to have sixty votes to carry it across the finish line. That is the issue we are having. I think the House can deliver a stronger bill than we can at this point, and we have to figure out what we can pass over here in the Senate.”
He highlighted that although the Senate may present the biggest hill for the bill to climb, it isn’t because of Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), but because seven votes are required from Democratic members, and not many of them are from red states that farm.
Sheperd mentioned Senator Mullin’s unique relationship with President Trump and compelled him to share what he wants Oklahomans to know about their president. In addition to Trump’s outstanding work ethic, Mullin said that he is “probably one of the funniest human beings you’ve ever been around.” He said, “Privately, I’m telling you, the guy is hilarious.”
Becoming more solemn, Mullin added, “The thing I like to talk about the most is the kids. We know a lot of very wealthy individuals who have zero relationships with their kids. Trump’s kids love him. His grandkids love him. There is no barrier between him and his grandkids. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a meeting with him, and the grandkids come in and jump on his lap, but he is also that way with my kids. My sons look at the president like he is their friend, just like I look at him.”
Mullin observes the same friend-to-friend relationship with everyone who knows President Trump on a personal level. “There is a reason why he is such an effective leader, just the media wouldn’t portray him that way,” he said. “The bias of the media will never be able to show the real personality of the president. What I think is important to rural Oklahoma is that we are a family state, and family is important. When someone truly cares for your kids, that means more to you than when anyone tries to be nice to you. He truly cares for my kids.”
