Lindsey Graham criticizes COVID stimulus funds for Black farmers. ‘That’s reparations’
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina took issue with a proposed $5 billion fund for debt repayment that would benefit historically disenfranchised Black farmers in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, calling it “reparations.”
Graham, a Republican, criticized what he called the Democratic “wish list” in the stimulus deal in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
“Let me give you an example of something that really bothers me. In this bill, if you’re a farmer, your loan will be forgiven up to 120% of your loan ... if you’re socially disadvantaged, if you’re African American, some other minority. But if you’re [a] white person, if you’re a white woman, no forgiveness. That’s reparations. What does that have to do with COVID?” Graham asked.
The American Rescue Plan has allotted $10.4 billion for agriculture and around half would go to disadvantaged farmers, The Washington Post reported, citing estimates from the Farm Bureau. Around a quarter of disadvantaged farmers are Black and the funds would go toward grants, debt relief, education, training and other assistance, per the Post.
Black farmers have lost more than 12 million acres of land in the U.S. in the past century as a result of “systemic racism, biased government policy and social and business practices that have denied African Americans equitable access to markets,” The Washington Post reported.
Under the stimulus plan, payments of up to 120% would go to “socially disadvantaged” farmers, which a House code defines as those who have been “subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities.”
On Wednesday, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, criticized Graham for his comments.
“Lindsey Graham is from South Carolina. He knows South Carolina’s history. He knows what the state of South Carolina and this country has done to Black farmers in South Carolina. They didn’t do it to White farmers. We’re trying to rescue the lives and livelihoods of people. He ought to be ashamed of himself,” Clyburn said an interview with CNN. “I think you ought to go back and maybe go to church. Get in touch with his Christianity.”
The issue of racial inequality extends far beyond farming. In 2016, the average net worth for a white family in the U.S. was $171,000 — ten times higher than the average net worth for a Black family, according to The Brookings Institution, which pointed to centuries of discriminatory policies against the Black community as a reason for the disparity.
Democrats are expected to pass the relief plan on Wednesday through the reconciliation process, which allows for “expedited consideration” of legislation on spending, taxes and debt and let lawmakers bypass the 60-vote requirement for advancing the legislation in the Senate.
The bill, which passed the Senate 50-49, will head to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature once the House approves changes to its version — putting Congress on track to implement the legislation before millions of Americans lose their jobless benefits on Mar. 14.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Lindsey Graham criticizes COVID stimulus funds for Black farmers. ‘That’s reparations’."