Senator Reverend Warnock successfully secured funding for poor farmers and farmers who have faced discrimination in the Inflation Reduction Act, and has continued to press U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to distribute the relief

During a March Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock questioned USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on the implementation of a Warnock-championed program to provide financial assistance to Georgia farmers who have experienced discrimination

Senator Reverend Warnock: “Today is a good day because I’ve been waiting to tell these farmers that relief is on the way, and I’m going to continue holding the USDA’s feet to the fire to ensure they’re reaching the farmers they need to and that these resources are disbursed as soon as possible”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened applications for farmers to receive financial assistance for past discrimination in USDA farm loan programs. Senator Warnock secured funding for poor farmers and farmers who have faced discrimination in the Inflation Reduction Act, and has continued to press USDA to distribute the relief.

“Today’s announcement is great news, but there’s still much more work to do,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m thinking of farmers like Burke County’s Lucious Abrams, who faced decades of USDA discrimination and has gone deeper and deeper into the red waiting for federal relief, even though financial assistance we passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law nearly a year ago. Today is a good day because I’ve been waiting to tell these farmers that relief is on the way, and I’m going to continue holding the USDA’s feet to the fire to ensure they’re reaching the farmers they need to and that these resources are disbursed as soon as possible.”

Senator Warnock has long prioritized helping Georgia’s farmers navigate economic challenges and getting farmers the federal support they need to grow and thrive. Senator Warnock fought to secure over $5 billion in relief funding in the Inflation Reduction Act for farmers in Georgia and across the country—including $3.1 billion for economically-distressed borrowers in addition to $2.2 billion for borrowers who have experienced discrimination by USDA. In October 2022, Senator Warnock announced he already secured over $29 million in funds to help economically-distressed Georgia farmers receive relief for qualifying USDA farm loans. The Senator has also elevated the voices of all farmers and producers through a series of moderated conversations with USDA officials.

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