FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: lauren@scdp.org, 803-832-0819
LINDSEY GRAHAM BLASTS BIDEN INITIATIVE TO HELP SOUTH CAROLINA BLACK FARMERS
Columbia, S.C.— The Biden Administration American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with a particular emphasis on aiding minority farmers. During the Trump administration, these farmers received less than 1% of USDA funding and farm subsidies.
Speaking on Fox News, Senator Graham accused Democrats of “out of control liberalism” and using the American Rescue Plan to provide reparations. Well documented discrimination by the USDA shows Black and minority farmers were routinely denied access to funding that helped generations of White farmers keep their land or successfully access loans and grants to expand their operations. The result: a drastic decrease in Black farm ownership, to roughly 47,000 farms nationally, down from a high point of 949,000 Black farmers in the United States in the early 1900’s.
“One year ago Lindsey Graham had no problem supporting direct government aid for farmers, but now that it is the Biden Administration sending help specifically to aid South Carolina’s Black farming community, he wants to obfuscate the impact this bill will have across our state.” said SCDP Chair, Trav Robertson, Jr., “Farming is still the absolute lifeblood of South Carolina’s economy, and Lindsey knows all too well the struggle of Black farmers to not only remain financially solvent, but to keep their land.”
As agriculture remains a billion dollar industry in the State of South Carolina, help is truly on the way for the State’s roughly 2700 farmers, many of whom still struggle to farm their land to make a decent living.
###
