The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Freedom (WIL) has initiated a lawsuit against the USDA, contending that it maintains discriminatory practices that originated during the Biden administration.
The lawsuit, filed by dairy farmer Adam Faust from Chilton, Wisconsin, in federal court against secretary Brooke Rollins, argues that the USDA’s programs contravene the Constitution’s equal protection clause by primarily benefiting minority and female farmers.
“Farmers, like every other American, should be assessed as individuals, not merely as part of a quota or preference system based on race or gender,” the suit asserts.
This legal action points out three specific USDA programs—Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, Loan Assurance Program, and Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)—which allegedly perpetuate race and gender-based benefits.
The DMC is intended to offer financial assistance to dairy producers when the gap between milk and feed prices drops below a set level. However, the lawsuit claims that minority and female farmers don’t have to pay the annual management fees that white farmers, like Faust, are required to pay.
Furthermore, the Loan Guarantee Program stipulates that while Faust is eligible for a 90% loan guarantee, minority and female farmers can receive up to 95%. In the case of EQIP, the lawsuit notes that minority farmers qualify for a 90% cost refund, while Faust can only receive a 75% refund.
In 2021, Faust had previously filed litigation asserting that the USDA’s Farmer Loan Forgiveness Plan was unconstitutional, as it discriminated based on race.
A notification issued by the USDA in April indicated that they might face a lawsuit if they failed to address numerous race-based programs within 60 days. Members of the Wisconsin Legislature also voiced their concerns regarding the USDA’s practices at that time.
The USDA has not commented in response to inquiries made by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“We have cautioned both the USDA and the Trump administration regarding the discriminatory programs from the Biden era. We’ve exercised patience, but equality cannot be deferred,” a statement proclaimed. “President Trump made it clear that there is no tolerance for racism in his administration, yet the USDA is still a significant exception.”
“The USDA must honor the President’s promise to eliminate racism within the federal government. I hope my lawsuit leads to much-needed accountability and results, particularly since the USDA has overlooked our concerns,” Faust stated.
On January 21, Trump signed an executive order to “End illegal discrimination and restore merit-based opportunities,” directing all relevant departments to eliminate discriminatory practices. Amid escalating trade tensions with China in April, Rollins indicated that she would collaborate with lawmakers to secure essential funding if the trade issues hinder agricultural exports.
