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Conyers: Black Farmers' Claim Should Have Been Settled Years Ago

As Well as the Latino and Women Farmers' Cases
Congressman John Conyers

For Immediate Release
November 30, 2010
Contact: Nicole Triplett

(Washington) — Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman, John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legtislation authorizing the appropriations of funds to settle claims pending in the Pigford v. Glickman case. In support of the bill, Chairman Conyers issued the following statement.

The appropriation of funds to settle the remaining claims in the Pigford Black Farmers litigation is long overdue. After the passage of legislation creating a cause of action for late-filing Pigford claimants in 2008, Congress appropriated $100 million to jumpstart this process with the understanding that additional funds would be required. Today’s bill passage allows Congress to proceed with appropriating the remaining $1.15 billion, in compliance with a settlement reached in February between the claimants and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

After working 27 years to seek justice for the Pigford Black Farmers, I hope that our action today will establish a framework for the resolution of all the pending discrimination claims against the USDA. In many ways, Pigford has been a test case and should provide impetus for resolution of similar claims by Latino farmers in the Garcia case, and women farmers in the Love case.

After the pattern of unlawful discrimination they have endured at the hands of USDA, we owe it to them to resolve their claims fairly and with finality.

 

 

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