FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org
Wisconsin families and farmers are paying the price for the Republican war with Iran
Congressmen Steil and Van Orden voted to block congressional oversight as spending on the war and costs for essential items surges
MADISON, Wis. — With the Pentagon planning to seek $200 billion in additional funding for the ongoing war with Iran, Wisconsin families and farmers are the ones who will be left paying the price as the war sends costs soaring and threatens our economy.
Here are some of the ways Wisconsinites are already feeling the economic pain from the war:
30 Percent Jump In Fertilizer Prices: Ahead of a busy planting season, Wisconsin farmers saw fertilizer prices jump 30% in the week after the war began, as the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-third of global fertilizer ingredients pass — was effectively shut down.
Higher Food Prices: The American Farm Bureau Federation warns that delayed shipments and higher prices could force farmers to cut planting and reduce yields, ultimately driving up food costs for consumers.
Gas Price Hikes Through 2027: The U.S. Energy Department has warned that gas and diesel prices are unlikely to fall to pre-war levels until mid-2027 at the earliest, raising costs for industries from trucking and farming to airlines and retailers.
Bad News For Home Buyers: For the third week in a row, mortgage rates have climbed, making it more expensive for homebuyers to secure financing.
"Wisconsin farmers are getting hit from every direction — tariffs, fertilizer costs, uncertainty at every turn — and Congressmen Steil and Van Orden haven't lifted a finger to help," said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. "They voted to cut food assistance, they voted to protect tariffs raising grocery prices, and now they've voted to give the Trump administration a blank check to keep fighting a war that's making things even harder for Wisconsin families and the farmers who feed them."
With no end to the war in sight, Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden previously voted to block congressional oversight that could rein in spending and provide relief.
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