Obama administration reaches settlement for $1.25B in payments to black farmers
By Ben Evans, APThursday, February 18, 2010
USDA reaches new settlement with black farmers
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has reached a deal with black farmers that could end a years-long stalemate over alleged racial discrimination by the Agriculture Department.
The agency said the administration is planning to announce a $1.25 billion fund Thursday to compensate African-Americans who say they were unfairly denied assistance from USDA.
President Barack Obama requested the same amount in his budget last year, but the funding stalled in Congress as settlement talks continued.
If approved by Congress, it would be the second round of damages stemming from a class-action lawsuit originally settled in 1999. The new money is intended for people who were denied earlier payments, often over missed deadlines.
