Mountain States Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit over a federal program barring white male farmers from disaster relief funds, a move which comes after the group successfully challenged a Biden administration loan forgiveness program that also discriminated against white farmers.
The United States Department of Agriculture previously announced billions in financial assistance for farmers who “suffered losses due to natural disasters” in 2020 and 2021, with a “higher payment percentage” available for “historically underserved” or “socially disadvantaged” applicants. The agency required a form proving they were either female or a member of a racial minority group, thus excluding white men from the higher relief, despite a note at the bottom of the form vowing that all agency programs are “prohibited from discriminating based on race.”
Attorneys with Mountain States Legal Foundation therefore filed a lawsuit on behalf of Rusty Strickland, Alan West, and Bryan Baker, three white family farmers who “received less money in disaster relief funds than if they had been of a different race or sex.” The group said the Biden administration added the “historically underserved” and “socially disadvantaged” qualifications without permission from Congress after lawmakers passed the disaster relief funds.
“Natural disasters don’t discriminate. Neither should USDA,” Mountain States Legal Foundation remarked in a statement. “The Constitution promises equal treatment to all Americans, regardless of their race or sex. It also promises the separation of powers. USDA broke both promises through its disaster and pandemic relief programs when it unilaterally decided to give more money to farmers of certain backgrounds based on factors like race and sex. Agriculture is a tough enough business without the added hurdle of discrimination.”
The group won a similar lawsuit three years ago after the Biden administration attempted to “operate a race-based loan forgiveness program” that automatically canceled the debts of “socially disadvantaged” farmers while excluding white farmers from the initiative. Congress repealed the program altogether after a federal court granted an injunction.
President Joe Biden has also promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal workforce, signing an executive order during his first year in office which told agencies to report on their progress with diversifying their workforces in accordance with race, sex, and other identities.
