Associated Press
- When Congress reopened the government’s discrimination settlement with black farmers, lawmakers budgeted just $100 million for damages. They probably should have handed over a blank check.
With more than 70,000 potential claimants, the liability could exceed $3 billion – triple the amount paid under the original 1999 agreement.
The settlement was reopened by legislation added to the farm bill passed last month. It illustrates how lawmakers often manipulate pay-as-you-go budget rules to give the appearance they are balancing the federal checkbook.
Supporters acknowledge that the $100 million was an arbitrary amount that won’t come close to covering the actual cost. Yet the measure ran into little opposition during the months-long debate on the farm bill. That was mainly because of the artificially low price tag.
