With Booker and Warnock on Senate Ag Committee, a fresh push for equity?
On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee added Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Raphael Warnock of Georgia to its roster. Both senators are likely to keep the Biden administration accountable to its pledge to address racial inequality in the sector, wrote Roll Call. During his campaign, Warnock said he’d fight for Georgia producers, expanding access to capital and ending biased federal policies. Last year, Booker introduced a bill with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) that would have distributed at least 20,000 land grants to Black farmers, if it passed. Now as a committee member, Booker has a stronger platform and could push forward a revised bill, perhaps later this month. Such grants could help Black farmers, who have historically lost wealth and land due to discriminatory policies and lending practices, keep and grow their operations.
