The nearly $2 trillion stimulus known as The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is already facing a lawsuit over its provisions targeting farmers of color.
The Texas Tribune reports Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller has filed a personal lawsuit against the federal government. He says the COVID relief plan discriminates against some white farmers and ranchers because it offered targeted relief to “socially disadvantaged” farmers and ranchers, which the plan defines as people of color.
The plan designates roughly $5 billion for things such as loan repayments and program awareness. Miller’s complaint against USDA says the definition in the program fails to include “white ethnic groups that have unquestionably suffered” because of ethnicity, such as those of Irish, Italian, German, Jewish and eastern European heritage.
The lawsuit is seeking class action status.
