Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise to associate myself with the remarks of the chair of the Agriculture Committee, Senator Lincoln, as well as Senators Grassley and Landrieu, concerning the importance of providing funding to pay the still pending claims of the Black farmers who were discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This case has North Carolina roots. Timothy Pigford, a Black farmer, was the focal point for this class action lawsuit. He grew up in Columbus County and had a farm in Bladen County, NC. He was first denied a Federal loan to buy a farm in 1976. Mr. Pigford and others filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pigford v. Glickman, alleging that the USDA maintained a pattern and practice of discrimination against Black farmers. In 1999, the government settled the Pigford v. Glickman case, finding that thousands of African-American farmers were in fact discriminated against when applying for benefits that would help their farms. Under the terms of the settlement, eligible farmers initially were required to submit completed claims packages by October 12, 1999. This deadline was subsequently extended by the court to September 15, 2000. Approximately 61,000 petitions were filed after the original October 1999 deadline but before the September 2000 late filing deadline. Of these 61,000 petitions, only around 2,500 were permitted to proceed to a determination on the merits.…”