Outspoken Iowa congressman calls for probe of black farmers' discrimination claims

On Wednesday we reported Congress had sent President Obama legislation to pay $4.6 billion in settlements with American Indians and black farmers who say they faced discrimination and mistreatment from the government. Some Republicans have raised objections to the bill, and not just because of its price tag. Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King "argues that the eligibility standards in the case are too lax, because claimants don’t have to prove they were discriminated against," Philip Brasher of the Des Moines Register reports on the Green Fields blog. King called for a federal investigation into possible fraud in the claims

Complaints from King and other Republicans about the bill "have kind of a funny smell about them," Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin told Brasher. King countered, "Their first line of defense is to call me names, so that tells me they’ve already lost the argument." A Republican-controlled House of Representatives in 2011 could hold hearings about the claims, but King said negotiations were ongoing about how to deal with the issue. He acknowledged the issue made southern Republicans uncomfortable, telling Brasher "They cringe because they don’t want to have to deal with the subject."

Harkin said there is no evidence of fraud in regards to discrimination claims and the bill has adequate safeguards to protect against such concerns. "The legislation includes provisions requiring various reviews and audits of the settlement’s implementation," Brasher writes. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who said he was disappointed by King's comments, told Brasher, "We’re obviously going to be sensitive and aware of the need to make sure that those who have been discriminated against receive their appropriate measure of justice and that we do our very level best to make sure that people who are not entitled to relief don’t get relief." (Read more)