Wisconsin Lawmakers Demand USDA Remove Race-Based Farm Aid Programs

Wisconsin's Republican Congressional delegation has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to terminate remaining race-based farm aid programs enacted under the Biden administration. The lawmakers assert the programs continue to discriminate against male white farmers and violate constitutional standards of equal treatment.

The dispute centers on USDA programs originally designed to benefit "socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers." The programs were a product of the Biden-era Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy aimed at correcting past imbalances in agriculture. Opponents argue, however, that by prioritizing assistance based on race and gender, the programs have alienated white farmers, both legally and ethically dubious.

One particular case given as an example is that of Adam Faust, a disabled white Wisconsin dairy farmer. Faust was originally barred from accessing certain USDA benefits due to his race and gender. In Faust's case, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) legally objected on his behalf to the $4 billion Farmer Loan Forgiveness Program. In the case of Faust v. Vilsack, a federal court determined that federal benefits on the basis of race were unconstitutional. Thus, the program was suspended.

The Biden administration subsequently introduced a new $2.2 billion relief program, but Faust and others continue to be excluded from critical USDA programs, such as loan guarantees and grants. Legislators argue that despite policy changes, remnants of race-based eligibility criteria still exist in USDA's current framework.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Wisconsin Representatives Tony Wied, Derrick Van Orden, Tom Tiffany, Bryan Steil, Glenn Grothman, and Scott Fitzgerald urged Faust's case to be immediately investigated. The delegation also referred to President Trump's executive order to abolish all federal programs that discriminate based on race or sex. They made it clear that these eligibility requirements violate constitutional safeguards and must be entirely removed.

One of the programs under fire, the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, reportedly charges Faust a participation fee but not non-white farmers. These types of policies, according to the lawmakers, are at odds with the USDA's recent shift towards merit-based lending under Secretary Rollins.

Although Secretary Rollins publicly announced cancelling all DEI contracts and grants on her first day in office—for over $5.5 billion in savings—lawmakers insist that there still remain systemic disparities. Unless everything race-related is eliminated, they assert, farmers like Faust will just keep facing disparate treatment.

The letter also references the manner in which earlier policy language described "disadvantaged" farmers. The American Rescue Plan granted debt relief of up to 120% only to farmers found to be Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Alaskan Native, Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. White farmers were not so described.

WILL has now sent a formal demand letter to Secretary Rollins and Attorney General Pam Bondi, requiring the USDA to eliminate the alleged discriminatory elements of its aid programs within 60 days. If they do not comply, additional legal action will be taken.

This movement is a reflection of broader tensions over federal equity initiatives. While some embrace these programs as a means to address institutionalized disparity, others view them as bringing in new forms of discrimination. The outcome of this challenge may well set the course of future federal aid policy and define precedent about government programs and how they establish qualifications.

The legislators contend that there should be need, economic status, or merit alone that underpins all aid programs and not fixed attributes such as race or gender. They are demanding an appraisal of all the USDA programs to ensure that there are no discriminatory practices or language.

With mounting pressure on federal agencies to shift towards neutral and merit-based funding models, the USDA is now being put under pressure to demonstrate full compliance with norms of equal treatment. The resolution of this issue may not only influence agricultural-related support but also be extended to broader interpretations of anti-discrimination and civil rights legislation in public policy.

Source and Credits:
The Federalist via KnowESG