U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield
First District of North Carolina
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Contact: Ken Willis |
Butterfield Urges Senate to Approve Pigford II and Cobell Settlement Funds
Washington, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield is urging the U.S Senate to approve legislation that would provide funding to settle black farmers’ and Native Americans’ lawsuits against the federal government.
“It’s time to put people before politics, and vote to fund the Pigford II and Cobell settlements,” Butterfield said. “Unfortunately, Senate Republicans continue to stand to in the way of righting these longstanding wrongs.
Republicans have rejected legislation with funding to settle these cases four different times over the past three months. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated that he will make a request today for unanimous consent to settle thousands of racial discrimination claims by African-American farmers and accusations of federal mismanagement of American Indian trust accounts.
The legislation would provide $1.15 billion to settle up to 74,000 outstanding claims by black farmers that they were discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture between 1983 and 1997, the so-called Pigford II claimants. This settlement was reached in February, and builds upon an initial $100 million authorized by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill.
It would also provide $3.4 billion to settle a class action suit by Native Americans against the Department of the Interior. The case was settled in December, 2009, but has not been funded.
“While black farmers continue to struggle, Senate Republicans continue to deny them justice for years of discrimination,” Butterfield said. “It’s time to join Senate Democrats in supporting America’s black farmers.”
