Senate Votes To Reopen Black Farmers’ Lawsuit

Read more on Senator Obama’s work on behalf of black farmers here.

The AP reports:

The farm bill approved by the Senate last week moved Congress a step closer to reopening a landmark discrimination case against the Agriculture Department.Like its companion bill in the House, the Senate measure would give thousands of black farmers another chance at seeking compensation over claims that they were denied loans or other crop subsidies because of their race.

Critics have charged that farmers had plenty of time to win claims under the original settlement that USDA agreed to in 1999. Reopening the matter now could cost several billion dollars and reward questionable claimants who may not have suffered losses, they argue.

But advocates for black farmers say the settlement was flawed and that many farmers living in rural areas did not know of the deadline for filing claims.

So far, the provision - tucked inside the nearly $300 billion farm bill - has not run into significant opposition on Capitol Hill. Aides said it appears likely to survive in the final version of the bill that Congress sends to President Bush.

“For far too long, this country’s hardworking black farmers were discriminated against by our own government, and this legislation offers a chance for us to continue righting those wrongs,” Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat running for president, said in a written statement.

Read more.

Obama Statement on Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Farm Bill (H.R.2419), which passed by a vote of 79 to 14:

“By passing the Farm Bill today, the Senate has taken an important step towards renewing our nation’s commitment to our farming communities and a clean energy future. This legislation invests in conservation, nutrition, specialty crops, and rural development. It puts resources into renewable energy and recognizes those family farmers who are working to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it includes a packer ban, which is so important for market transparency.

“I am especially proud that this legislation includes my proposal to ensure that thousands of African-American farmers will have an opportunity to have their discrimination claims reviewed under the Pigford settlement. For far too long, this country’s hardworking black farmers were discriminated against by our own government, and this legislation offers a chance for us to begin to right these wrongs.

“While the Farm Bill is a step in the right direction, I am disappointed that those who blocked payment limitations chose to put big agribusiness ahead of family farmers. I will continue to fight for meaningful payment limitations legislation that will target subsidies to the farmers and ranchers who most need assistance.”

“I thank Senator Harkin for his leadership on this issue, and will continue to work with him to stand up for America’s family farmers.”

Obama Unveils Rural Agenda For New Hampshire

On conference call with Granite Staters, policy experts discuss challenges facing rural America, how Obama’s plan will support rural New Hampshire communities

MANCHESTER ,NH—Senator Barack Obama’s New Hampshire campaign hosted a conference call with New Hampshire voters this evening to announce Senator Obama’s rural agenda. On the call, policy experts discussed the challenges facing rural America and how Senator Obama’s policies will support New Hampshire’s rural communities.

As a senator from a largely rural state, Obama has worked to ensure rural America’s prosperity and vitality. As president, he will help rural America’s workers and small businesses thrive.

“We have been burdened for many, many years with a federal farm policy that really makes no sense for agriculture here in the Northeast and in New Hampshire,” said Steve Taylor, former New Hampshire Agriculture Commissioner. “The Senator’s policy…addresses that concern…particularly with regard to expanding the opportunities…that are right under our noses here.”

Taylor was joined on the call by Bob Sussman, former Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Mil Duncan, sociologist and Director of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.

Obama’s agenda will support New Hampshire rural communities by:

• Providing needed support for family farmers in New Hampshire;
• Creating economic opportunities in New Hampshire’s rural areas including a focus on the state’s farming and forestry industries;
• Enabling New Hampshire to take advantage of the growth of clean renewable energy in this country;
• Supporting rural job growth through a Microenterprise Initiative that will provide training and tax credits to small businesses in rural areas; and
• Improving rural education, providing incentives to attract teachers to rural schools, and ultimately seeking to retain young people in rural America.

You can read the full plan HERE.

Obama Statement On Payment Limitations Vote

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to pass the Dorgan-Grassley amendment (#3695) to the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419). This amendment would have ensured that federal payments went directly to family farmers instead of large agri-businesses, and capped these payments at $250,000 per farmer. The Senate failed to break a Republican filibuster on the amendment; the vote was 56-43, with Senator Obama voting against the filibuster:

“I am disappointed that the Senate failed to approve this modest, but critically important, reform measure. This proposal would have ensured that federal payments go to family farmers, instead of large agri-businesses. This amendment also would have helped our rural communities by generating $1 billion to support beginning and minority farmers, as well as rural development, conservation and nutrition programs.”

Obama Statement On The Energy Bill

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Energy Bill. Today, the Senate failed to stop a Republican filibuster of the bill; the cloture vote failed to meet the 60 vote requirement by 53-42:

“Once again, partisan, special interest-driven politics have blocked the bold steps necessary to solve our energy crisis. The Energy Bill that was rejected today would have improved the fuel economy of cars and trucks to an average of 35 mpg and provided 36 billion gallons of biofuels in 15 years. It would have repealed $13 billion in subsidies for the oil and gas industry at a time when the price of oil nears $100 a barrel. And it would have included provisions to make solar and wind power more affordable and widespread to homeowners and businesses.

“This bill also recognized those family farmers and local ethanol producers across the country who have grown the ethanol industry from the ground up. By expanding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to 36 billion gallons by 2022, this bill would have helped stabilize the ethanol market and improve declining ethanol prices that are threatening the livelihood of farmers and ethanol managers as well as the rural economy. Senator Harkin and I fought to expand the RFS to continue the path of developing a strong biofuels industry, and I will continue to work to make sure an RFS expansion happens as quickly as possible.

“For too long the interests of the American people have fallen victim to partisan politics, and today serves as another unfortunate example. This bill put the American people and our energy future ahead of Big Oil, and it deserved to be considered. I will continue to support any efforts to bring this bill back to the floor.”

Barack Obama Editorial on Helping Black Farmers

Barack Obama published the following editorial in the Florence Morning News.

As we work to find the best solutions to the challenges America’s farmers face in the 21st century, we have an opportunity – and an obligation – to right the wrongs of the past century.

For far too long, this country hardworking African-American farmers were discriminated against by the government and county committees who denied them credit and benefit programs because of their race. For decades, African American farmers suffered disenfranchisement and discrimination by they the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). This injustice ran deep and had devastating effects. Because so many of these farmers were denied credit and benefits, the number of African American farmers from 1920 until the early 1990s declined by almost 98 percent.

Obama Statement on the Farm Bill November 16

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Farm Bill. Today, the Senate failed to stop a Republican filibuster of the bill; the cloture vote failed 55 to 42:

“I was disappointed to see that important improvements and solutions for our family farmers in this bill fell victim to partisan politics and obstructionism. Those who stood in the way of this bill stood against our farmers and a clean energy future. While the bill that passed committee didn’t include everything I would have liked, including specific reforms to help family farmers instead of big agribusiness, it did take much-needed steps to invest in conservation, nutrition, specialty crops and rural development. It provided funding for renewable energy and recognized farmers who are working to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it included a packer ban, which is so important for market transparency.

“It also included my legislation to ensure that thousands of African-American farmers would have an opportunity to have their discrimination claims reviewed under the Pigford settlement. For far too long, this country’s hardworking black farmers were discriminated against by our own government, and this legislation offered an important chance to begin righting the wrongs they suffered.

“I will continue to work with Chairman Harkin in fighting for America’s family farmers.”

Obama Challenges Clinton’s Ethanol Shift

The Des Moines Register reports:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said today that rival Hillary Clinton’s past record shows she’s anti-ethanol.

“It’s hard to believe that she is a strong ethanol supporter given her track record and this is something that represents a major reversal and what we need is consistency on these issues,” Obama said in an interview. “If she’s willing to shift this quickly on this issue, we don’t know whether she will shift back when it gets hard.”

Obama’s new attack on Clinton comes as the New York senator’s closest rivals have ramped up their criticism of her. Clinton has continued to lead the Democratic field in national polls and has led recently in a close Iowa race.

Read more.

Obama Bill To Help Black Farmers Passed Agricultural Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee accepted his legislation to expand discrimination compensation to thousands of black farmers under the Pigford settlement into the Farm Bill. The Obama bill – the Pigford Claims Remedy Act of 2007 – would allow certain previously denied farmers an opportunity to re-file their settlement claims and have them reviewed on their merits. In 1999, the USDA settled a class action lawsuit with African American farmers, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia approved the settlement, which allowed black farmers to file claims against the USDA for failing to respond to racial discrimination complaints between 1983 and 1997. However, the USDA has denied thousands of claims for various reasons.

On October 5, 2007, Obama was joined by House and Senate colleagues to call on President Bush to investigate allegations that the USDA had improperly lobbied against legislation that would compensate black farmers who were victims of discrimination. Earlier this year, Obama also called on Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to examine these allegations.

The statement is below:

“For far too long, this country’s hardworking black farmers were disenfranchised and discriminated against by our own government. And the Pigford settlement was an important first step in righting nearly two decades of discrimination by the USDA. But even after the settlement and a concerted effort by the USDA, thousands of farmers continued to be denied their deserved compensation.

“I am proud Chairman Harkin and the Agriculture Committee stood alongside these victims of discrimination by accepting my legislation to ensure thousands of farmers will have another opportunity to have their claims reviewed under the Pigford settlement. It is this Congress’ moral responsibility to publicly acknowledge the impact on black farmers and move this important bill forward.”

Obama Statement on the Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the passage of the farm bill out of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee:

“I applaud Chairman Harkin for his tireless efforts on this bill, and for gaining important ground on many of the priorities for our family farmers. The bill maintains a strong safety net for family farmers, and provides more funding for conservation and nutrition and rural development. By increasing funding for renewable energy, the legislation recognizes those farmers who are working to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. I am pleased that it includes a provision I cosponsored to expand E-85 fuel infrastructure to help the ethanol and biofuels industry succeed.

“We need to do more to reform payment limits to make sure that farm program assistance is going to those who need it - family farm operations - not big agribusiness interests. I will support separate legislation sponsored by Senators Grassley, Dorgan and Harkin that will achieve the payment limitations we need to make sure our family farmers have the support from the federal government that they deserve.”