While his opponents dredge up people with memories of conversations from 30 years ago, Allen is working hard NOW to prove that he is a Senator for all of us. His latest work is a Bill Providing Historic Remedy for Black Farmers Who Suffered Discrimination by USDA:
WASHINGTON, DC— In the South Hill Virginia country side, John Boyd has been tilling soybean, wheat and corn fields his family farm that goes back four generations. But like other African-American farmers, Boyd says that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) discriminated against black farmers when they applied for assistance between 1983 and 1997. That’s why Boyd turned to Senator George Allen (R-VA) who today, introduced legislation expanding the number of black farmers eligible to receive compensation under a class action lawsuit agreed to by USDA for what Senator Allen calls “the historical injustices suffered by African American farmers who through hard work and toil are a part of the great American farming family.”
Seems some good Virginians were left out of a class action lawsuit settled by the USDA, and Allen is working with Charles Grassley, Republican (IA), to fix that error.
In 1999, that class action was settled and USDA began disbursing checks to qualifying farmers. But, in the following years, it became apparent that many African American farmers had not been included in the original lawsuit. Senator Allen’s legislation would in effect, allow any eligible African American farmer “who has not previously obtained a determination…may, in a civil action, obtain that claim.”
Why is Allen doing this?
“There is no doubt,” says Senator Allen, “that this discrimination took place against many African-American farmers. What this bill attempts to do is to correct the limited number of farmers who actually benefited from a class action suit that should have extended to all African American farmers who suffered the indignity and inequality of being denied financial assistance through USDA.”
The Webb campaign wants you to believe the unbelievable, that this is the action of a racist. But it's the act of an honorable man, a man who a liberal African-American State Senator feels comfortable in endorsing.
“African American farmers are a part of the rich diversity of our country’s landscape and diverse farming communities,” said Senator Allen. “Since my days as Governor, I have made it a top priority to help strengthen and protect the fabric of the family farm. This measure is an appropriate and reasonable remedy to allow African American farmers to have their cases finally heard on their merits.”
Allen has the support of Senators of his party, which enables him to deliver for our state. Webb shares little in common with those in his chosen party, other than his hatred for Bush and the war in Iraq. They will hardly spend time with him now as he's campaigning.
His time in the Reagan administration suggests an inability to win others to his positions, which is a critical job requirement in the deliberative halls of the Senate, where Allen has proven so adept at swaying his colleagues for our State, along with our Senior Senator John Warner.
We don't have to look 30 years in the past to know the strong character of Senator Allen today, or to know his proven ability to serve ALL of Virginia as our Senator.
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