Sanford Bishop: “The USDA Equity Commission was set up in 2022 to address the historic inequities in implementation of the programs by…”

“The USDA Equity Commission was set up in 2022 to address the historic inequities in implementation of the programs by the Department of Agriculture. The Department has a long and storied history of discrimination, as evidenced by the billions of dollars that it has had to pay out as a result of discriminatory policies over the years. To quote directly from the USDA website regarding the commission: ``At USDA, we acknowledge we have not done enough to provide all farmers and ranchers an equal chance of success and prosperity. We are committed to changing that, actively working to build a USDA that ensures none of our customers are ignored or left behind.'' What is so threatening about that? The bill already came out of committee bearing harmful policy riders restricting the administration's efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The continued assault on equity initiatives at USDA is not helping our farmers. This amendment is a distraction from the real issues that are facing our farmers, and it does nothing to move us closer to a bipartisan conference agreement, an agreement we know we must reach to pass these appropriations bills. I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”