Springfield Standard

Senator Eric Schmitt, along with members of the Missouri congressional delegation, sent a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack on April 8, 2024. The letter addressed concerns about the Department's decision to reimburse crop insurance premiums to only certain producers under the 2022 Emergency Relief Program (ERP).

The co-signers on the letter include U.S. Representatives Sam Graves (MO-6), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3), Mark Alford (MO-4), and Eric Burlison (MO-7). In their letter, they expressed their disappointment with what they perceive as a biased approach by the USDA.

"Most Americans would think that emergency disaster aid for farmers would help all growers, but it appears that USDA would instead rather advance the Biden Administration’s woke agenda. We believe that the USDA’s blatant use of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the ERP program undermines the hard work and dedication of our farmers and ranchers," they wrote.

They further stated that this approach contradicts Executive Order 13985 titled 'Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,' which was put forward by the Biden Administration. The policy suggests that 'the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all.'

The group contends that favoring certain farmers and ranchers in ERP goes against foundational ideals of their nation and fails to recognize the commitment and devotion shared by all farmers and ranchers in their work.

The letter seeks answers on behalf of farmers who were allegedly overlooked for reimbursements in favor of other farmers based on race and sex. It also demands specific information related to how much of the $3.7 billion appropriated to USDA for ERP has been allocated so far, broken down by each state for Track 1 and Track 2.

Additionally, it asks for an analysis from the Office of Management and Budget that required USDA to promote equity using Federal resources in USDA programs. The letter also seeks clarification on the reasoning that allowed USDA to decide to only reimburse crop insurance premiums for “historically underserved” farmers and ranchers when the statute did not expressly call for this.

Finally, it inquires whether USDA required agency employees to undergo DEI training in order to advance equity in ERP, and if so, requests a copy of the training materials.