Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. Announces USDA Loan Payments to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Under the American Rescue Plan

St. James, Louisiana - Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02) joined Cedric Richmond, Senior Advisor to President Biden, and Dr. Dewayne Goldmon, Senior Advisor for Racial Equity (USDA) to announce debt relief for socially disadvantaged farmers under the American Rescue Plan Act (Section 1005).  Congressman Carter stated:

“This is a historic opportunity to create long-overdue equity for farmers who have been left behind due to decades of discriminatory practices. Today, the Biden Administration made a huge down payment to right this wrong.

I want to thank the Biden Administration, Secretary Tom Vilsack, and the entire USDA team for their work to ensure Black farmers and farmers of color have equitable access to debt relief. I also would like to thank my colleague, House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, for championing this landmark piece of legislation and ensuring its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan.

These loan repayments give farmers and ranchers who have been discriminated against new tools and opportunities to compete on level ground. This is an important step to advancing equity and addressing systemic racism in USDA programs.”

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