House Democrat Informs Trump Commerce Secretary, 'We Cannot Build Bananas in America'
Source: MEDIAite
Jun 5th, 2025, 6:22 pm
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick earned an amusing rebuke on Thursday after he insisted the U.S. “produce” and “build” bananas.
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee, Lutnick answered questions from lawmakers, including Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), who pressed him on President Donald Trump’s tariffs, particularly bananas. The U.S. imports the fruit from several Latin American countries, most prominently Guatemala, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.
“What’s the tariff on bananas?” she asked while brandishing a banana. “Americans, by the way, love bananas. We buy billions of them a year. I love bananas. What’s the tariff on bananas?” “The tariff on bananas would be representative of the countries that produce them,” Lutnick replied. “And what’s that tariff?” she pressed. “Generally, 10 percent,” he answered. Dean went on to say Walmart has raised the price of bananas by eight percent, and Lutnick replied that prices will go back down as the U.S. secures trade deals.
“But the cost is on the American consumer now and on the businesses with the confusion now,” Dean shot back. “Mr. Secretary, I believe you know better. I believe you recognize that a trade deficit is not something to fear. I believe you know that predictability, stability is essential for businesses. I wish you would show that truth to this administration.”
Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/house-democrat-informs-trump-commerce-secretary-we-cannot-build-bananas-in-america/
Dean is the congresswoman for one of my sisters.
= new reply since forum marked as read
If you know the right people or can access the right farmer's markets, you can have local bananas!
FreshPoint
as some farms have been doing, and we'd be good to go!
I do have a plumie in the basement that I have to bring up (probably be the last thing I bring up as it is about 6ft tall in the pot and is heavy and awkward). The temps have been abnormally chilly at night until the past couple days so it's well past my usual "by Memorial Day" time! Have a rooted cutting of it that I have to give to my sister for her hubby's friend's son.
Also have to bring up my Stephanotis before it vines itself around the light pole down there again.
although it is a late bloomer - usually late summer early fall (August - September). When I bring it in, it usually has some inflo on it with buds that are still opening and will continue to bloom in the basement under lights before I put it to sleep in a dark cooler (usually doesn't go below the 60s) part of my basement after I strip the leaves.
This is what the flower looks like (I had made a cutting for my sis & BIL and it finally bloomed back in 2022 for the first time - I think the variety is "Fruit Smoothie" ) -
I have the mama plant in a 14" pot that is completely roots but that lets me grab it by the trunk and move it up the stairs one step at a time (I keep the lanky branches tied together to make it easier).
And yeah we get the snow and I know years ago, I tried dwarf banana and tried to overwinter but at the time, didn't have a good place to overwinter them. Overwintering can sometimes let it resume growth to get a bloom and fruit the following summer.
and I only have a (relatively) small pot for the mama tree to live in.
(ETA - the pic is of my sister's cutting - the pics of mine have not been really good because the blooms end up near the top and it's hard to zoom in on them and not get other stuff blocking the inflo - I sit it next to a lilac - an "opposite climate" shrub compared to it!!)
It needs to be pruned (or at least chopped back ). But I have been pruning to make cuttings and of course with every pruning (and blooming), it branches.
I had let it dry some and lugged it up this afternoon and before I put it outside, I discovered this -
So I will be getting some "earlier" flowers this summer!!! 
I think I have only had it bloom with no more than maybe 2 inflos going at once so probably not enough flowers for a lei since it may take a week (or more) for all the flowers on an inflo to open (and they don't last long). The tree-lette is 12 years old from a cutting.
Thanks for the link too! I remember seeing those in use when I went on vacation to Hawai'i back in 1986 (a few years after Hurricane Iwa tore up Kaua'i). Got to see the Fern Grotto as it was slowly growing back (then unfortunately later, Hurricane Iniki tore it up again 
).
That was great!!!
And I do still have my kukui nut lei as a "permanent" reminder. 
We've string beans and HON-ions, cab-BAH-ges and scallions; And all kinds of fruit and say
We have an old fashioned to-MAH-to, Long Island po-TAH-to
But yes! We have no bananas, We have no bananas today
https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Yes!_We_Have_No_Bananas