Senate fails black farmers again
Despite repeated promises to take action, the U.S. Senate adjourned for summer recess without funding the federal discrimination settlement for black farmers.
"All we have heard are words from the Senate," said John W. Boyd Jr., a third-generation farmer from Virginia and president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA).
In February, the U.S. Justice and Agriculture departments announced that the government would settle a class-action lawsuit against the USDA for $1.25 billion to compensate for decades of racial discrimination in federal farm loan programs. President Obama included the money for what's known as the Pigford II settlement in his budget for the current fiscal year, but Congress needed to appropriate the funds.
Last month the House of Representatives passed a supplemental war appropriations bill that included the settlement money. Since then there have been repeated efforts in the Senate -- seven, according to NBFA's count -- to approve the money. So far, all have failed.
Most recently, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told The Hill that he would try to get unanimous consent to approve the funding on Aug. 5, but the session adjourned before that happened.
While the Senate returned briefly to Washington today to pass a border security funding bill, the discrimination settlement is not part of that package.
"It seems like for the trains leaving the station in the Senate, they manage not to have the black farmers on them," Boyd told CNN.
"All we have heard are words from the Senate," said John W. Boyd Jr., a third-generation farmer from Virginia and president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA).
In February, the U.S. Justice and Agriculture departments announced that the government would settle a class-action lawsuit against the USDA for $1.25 billion to compensate for decades of racial discrimination in federal farm loan programs. President Obama included the money for what's known as the Pigford II settlement in his budget for the current fiscal year, but Congress needed to appropriate the funds.
Last month the House of Representatives passed a supplemental war appropriations bill that included the settlement money. Since then there have been repeated efforts in the Senate -- seven, according to NBFA's count -- to approve the money. So far, all have failed.
Most recently, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told The Hill that he would try to get unanimous consent to approve the funding on Aug. 5, but the session adjourned before that happened.
While the Senate returned briefly to Washington today to pass a border security funding bill, the discrimination settlement is not part of that package.
"It seems like for the trains leaving the station in the Senate, they manage not to have the black farmers on them," Boyd told CNN.
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Sue Sturgis
Sue is the former editorial director of Facing South and the Institute for Southern Studies.