The Inflation Reduction Act would allocate $2.2 billion in financial aid to ranchers, farmers, and forest land owners who were the targets of “discrimination.”
An amendment tucked deep within the 755-pages of the $700 billion Inflation Reduction Act that would provide $2.2 billion in financial assistance to “farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners determined to have experienced discrimination” before Jan. 1, 2021, as it relates to the Dept. of Agriculture farm lending programs.
The section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act will take the place of the American Rescue Plan’s Section 1005, which was invalidated by the courts.
In response to the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, US President Joe Biden backed the American Rescue Plan, which he dubbed “the $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package.” It also included a number of leftist exemptions. This program was designed to help “socially disadvantaged farmers,” or minority farmers. Even if white farmers were disadvantageous, they would not be aided by this initiative.
“Section 1005’s inflexible, all-encompassing race-based qualification for aid is the polar opposite of flexibility,” wrote Circuit Judge Marcia Morales Howard in her decision. “The debt relief section is quite strict and focuses only on racial criteria regardless of any other element. Every person who identifies him or herself as belonging to a socially disadvantaged group with an outstanding farm loan as of January 1, 2021, receives up to 120 percent debt relief — and no one else gets any credit.”
Democrats appear to be on track for approval of their revised minority farm aid bill. The Senate passed the bill yesterday, and the House is expected to do so this week.
During the “vote-a-rama” portion of the Senate voting process, Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) offered an amendment to remove this program from the $700 billion Inflation Reduction Act. However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did not allow for a vote on Braun’s proposal.
