Wisconsin Lawmakers Demand End to USDA’s Race-Based Farm Aid
In a bold call to action, Wisconsin’s Republican House delegation has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to eliminate remaining Biden-era programs that they claim continue to discriminate against white male farmers. In a letter exclusively shared with The Federalist, the lawmakers highlighted the case of Adam Faust, a disabled Wisconsin dairy farmer who has been deemed ineligible for certain USDA benefits primarily because of his race and gender.
At the center of the dispute are USDA programs designed to benefit “socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.” These programs, established under the Biden administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda, have become a focal point in ongoing civil rights litigation. Faust, represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), successfully challenged the $4 billion Farmer Loan Forgiveness Program in court. In Faust v. Vilsack, a federal judge ruled that restricting benefits based on race violated the Constitution.
Despite the Biden administration suspending the initial program and replacing it with a new $2.2 billion initiative, Faust and others remain excluded from key USDA benefits, including loan guarantees and grant programs. “The government has created a program that distributes government benefits based solely on the race of the farmer,” said Luke Berg, deputy counsel for WILL, emphasizing the unconstitutionality of such race-based criteria.
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The letter, signed by Reps. Tony Wied, Derrick Van Orden, Tom Tiffany, Bryan Steil, Glenn Grothman, and Scott Fitzgerald, urges Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to investigate Faust’s case and ensure compliance with President Trump’s executive order to terminate race-based federal programs. “Each day without reform further disadvantages farmers, like Mr. Faust, based on their immutable characteristics,” the lawmakers wrote.
The controversial policies, embedded in the American Rescue Plan, once offered up to 120% debt relief to minority farmers, explicitly excluding white farmers from eligibility. NPR noted in 2021 that only Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Alaskan Native, Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander farmers were considered “disadvantaged.”
Though Secretary Rollins has already rescinded all DEI initiatives on her first day in office and touted over $5.5 billion in savings from canceled contracts and grants, GOP lawmakers argue that discriminatory remnants persist. “Mr. Faust is charged a fee for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, while non-white farmers are not,” the letter notes, citing ongoing disparities.
WILL recently sent a demand letter to both Rollins and Attorney General Pam Bondi, giving the administration 60 days to reform USDA’s allegedly discriminatory programs or face federal litigation.
In a statement, Faust expressed hope for change under the Trump administration: “It is outrageous that some farmers get a better deal based on race. I am hopeful the Trump Administration will change course and fix these discriminatory programs.”
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As the USDA shifts toward merit-based policies, Wisconsin lawmakers are demanding a full review of programs that use race or sex as eligibility criteria. “The term ‘socially disadvantaged’ should have no role in your agency,” they conclude, urging the USDA to act swiftly and avoid prolonged legal battles.
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Source: The Federalist
