[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 29, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       JUSTICE FOR BLACK FARMERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Carter) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, the history of farming and 
agriculture in the United States is unquestionably one-sided. Black 
farmers have lost over $300 million worth of farmland in the last 
century due to a history of widespread discrimination, which has 
further exacerbated the wealth gap in America.
  According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 3,222 
Black farmers in my home State of Louisiana. Nationally, Black farmers 
only represent 1.4 percent of more than 3 million farmers. Since the 
1920s, the number of Black farmers has dropped from nearly a million to 
roughly around 50,000. Today, they own just around half of a percent of 
our farmland.
  The Justice for Black Farmers Act confronts our history and will 
establish a brighter future for the underserved by reforming the USDA, 
providing debt relief, and creating a land grant program to encourage 
new generations of Black farmers. This bill seeks to correct persistent 
injustices and restore the land base that Black farmers have lost 
unjustly.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Adams and Senator Booker for 
their leadership on this issue.


                       Mass Shootings in America

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy 
heart, a heavy heart because our country consistently turns a cheek, 
turns and looks away at the violence, the mass shootings that seem to 
be reported every day in the news.
  It is simply not enough for my colleagues to come to the floor and 
offer condolences and well-wishing and prayer. While all those things 
are wonderful, in 2023 the people deserve action.
  Our young people that are visiting with us deserve to be in a 
classroom that is safe. Our friends who worship in churches and 
synagogues deserve to be able to worship in peace. People who walk 
their dogs or jog along the park should be able to do so without fear 
of a mass shooting. People should be able to go to a concert or a party 
and enjoy relative safety.
  In this month alone: March 27, Tennessee, mass shooting; March 27, 
Wisconsin, mass shooting; March 26, Pennsylvania, mass shooting; March 
26, Minnesota, mass shooting; March 26, Arkansas, mass shooting; March 
26, Louisiana, mass shooting; March 25, Louisiana, mass shooting; March 
25, New York, mass shooting; March 25, North Carolina, mass shooting; 
March 25, Illinois, mass shooting; March 24, Louisiana, mass shooting; 
March 23, Maryland, mass shooting; March 21, New Jersey, mass shooting; 
March 21, South Carolina, mass shooting; March 20, Wisconsin, mass 
shooting; March 18, Ohio, mass shooting; March 18, Illinois, mass 
shooting; March 18, Texas, mass shooting; March 15, Oregon, mass 
shooting; March 14, Alabama, mass shooting; March 13, Texas, mass 
shooting; March 12, Texas, mass shooting; March 11, New York, mass 
shooting; March 11, Washington, mass shooting; and March 10, Florida, 
mass shooting.
  That is just this month alone. Let that sink in. At what point do we 
put people over profit? At what point do we challenge the gun makers to 
say: Listen, we are not talking about taking away your constitutional 
right to bear arms. We are talking about sensible gun control that will 
save these young people that are visiting us today, that will save 
these visitors that come to see their government at work.
  This is not Republican or Democrat. This is about the survival of our 
communities. This is about the survival of our young people. This is 
about providing resources to make sure our communities are safe. Stop 
it. Stop protecting NRA and their profits and start protecting our 
children and their lives.

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