Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann
pointed to one program in particular Monday when
talking about wasteful government spending: a
multibillion dollar settlement paid to black farmers, who
claim the federal government discriminated against
them for decades in awarding loans and other aid.
The issue came up after Bachmann and Republican
Rep. Steve King of Iowa toured flooded areas along the
Missouri River. During a news conference, they fielded
a question about whether farmers affected by the
flooding also should be worried by proposed U.S.
Department of Agriculture cuts.
The two responded by criticizing a 1999 settlement in
what is known as the Pigford case, after the original
plaintiff, North Carolina farmer Timothy Pigford. Late
last year, President Barack Obama signed legislation
authorizing a new, nearly $1.2 billion settlement for
people who were denied payments in the earlier one
because they missed deadlines for filing.
King has likened the Pigford settlement to “modern-day
reparations” for African-Americans. He said Monday a
large percentage of the settlement “was just paid out in
fraudulent claims” and criticized the Obama
administration’s plan to resolve separate lawsuits filed
by Hispanic and female farmers.
