So I am reading my morning read and I come on to an article which quotes Sen. Pat Toomey R-PA. “Democrats are “rewarding their constituencies” by including a “litany of outrageous items” in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill. The bill passed in the Senate by a 50-49 vote, and the House is set to vote on the measure this week (actually passed by the house 3/10/21 and on its way to uncle Joe)
Toomey goes on “Just look at the litany of outrageous items in this bill. It’s completely indefensible. Almost $2 trillion, on top of $4 trillion. By the way, of the $4 trillion that was already done last year, probably $1 trillion of it is not even spent yet.
This is about rewarding [Democrats’] constituencies. I mean, they voted on Saturday to make sure that the $1,400 stimulus payments go to convicted criminals serving time in prison. They voted specifically to make sure the payments go to … illegal immigrants, who are here illegally. There’s reparations for minority farmers that don’t have to demonstrate any financial stress or any adverse effect from COVID, but they’ll get 120% of whatever indebtedness they have just paid for by the taxpayer. But not if you’re a white farmer. It’s outrageous and, I think, unconstitutional. The list goes on and on.”
When I read “reparations for minority farmers” I thought that has to be an exaggeration or a false statement.
To start with the Bill is 600 pages long. It has been sold and leveraged by holding out a $1,400 direct check to almost every American and I would guess that is about all the average citizen has heard or cared about. Hell, given what we have all been though, another lump of cash, sounds really good.
So with the wind at their backs, the liberal Democrats have gotten very bold with this one. With crap like you will see below, there can be no trust in congress. Look up your Representative or Senator, and see how they voted on this bill, then remember it the next time they run for election.
So I pulled up a copy of the text of American Rescue Plan 5 Act of 2021 and bingo Section 1005 FARM LOAN ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DIS-ADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS
(a) Payments
(1) APPROPRIATION.—For the purposes of addressing the longstanding and widespread discrimination against socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in farm loan programs and across the Department of Agriculture, as documented for decades by Congress and Federal agencies, and alleviating discriminatory barriers preventing socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers from fully participating in the American farm economy, in addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal year 2021, out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary, to remain available until expended, for the cost of loan modifications and payments under this section.
(2) PAYMENTS.—Using a simplified process to be determined by the Secretary, the Secretary shall provide a payment in an amount equal to 120 percent of the outstanding indebtedness of each socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher as of January 1, 2021, to pay off the loan directly or to the socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (or a combination of both), on each—
(A) direct farm loan made by the Secretary to the socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher; and
(B) farm loan guaranteed by the Secretary the borrower of which is the socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(3) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMER OR RANCHER.—The term ‘‘socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher’’ has the meaning given the term in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)).
If you go to https://www.usda.gov/partnerships/frequently-asked-questions-2501-program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Frequently Asked Questions 2501 Program
Q. What groups are defined as socially disadvantaged under the 2501 Program?
- African Americans
- American Indians
- Alaskan Natives
- Asians
- Hispanics
- Pacific Islanders
- Refugees
- Immigrants