Letter to the Editor

American Rescue Plan Act

By Jeff Gliedman, Marlboro
Posted 3/18/21

President Biden signed the $1.9 Trillion Covid Relief plan, H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, on March 11th. Only about 9 percent of funds in this bill actually goes to defeating the …

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Letter to the Editor

American Rescue Plan Act

Posted

President Biden signed the $1.9 Trillion Covid Relief plan, H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, on March 11th. Only about 9 percent of funds in this bill actually goes to defeating the virus. Some of the remaining funds go toward Farm loan assistance. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) - GovTrack.us

Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan legislation is titled “FARM LOAN ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS”.  Paragraph a2 titled “PAYMENTS” states “The Secretary shall provide a payment in an amount up to 120 percent of the outstanding indebtedness of each socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher as of January 1, 2021, to pay off the loan directly or to the socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher…”

The legislation takes the definition of the term ‘‘socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher’’ from the meaning given the term in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)). That 1990 Act defines a “socially disadvantaged group” means a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities.

If President Biden is the “unifier” as he so often claims to be and this pandemic is an equal opportunity killer, why aren’t ALL farmers included in these payments?