Three Times As Many Claims As Actual Claimants

Congress Should Investigate Pigford Before Funding It
by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Too many elected officials are far too comfortable spending taxpayer dollars without knowing where that money will actually end up. This was proven once again by the Senate’s vote to fund the Pigford Settlements, even though serious claims of fraud exist.

In September, I joined my colleagues Congressmen Steve King (IA-05) and Bob Goodlatte (VA-06) to call for a full investigation into the Pigford Settlement Case. As a constant advocate for careful use of taxpayer dollars, I was concerned when I learned that this Settlement has 94,000 claims of discrimination, even though only approximately 33,000 black farmers exist in the United States.

I’m disappointed in the Senate’s decision to disregard these serious allegations and instead vote to spend away billions of taxpayer dollars.