WASHINGTON�In the short space of one week, what started as an effort by Congressional Black Caucus members to assist Black farmers in their on-going battle for fair treatment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has turned into an angry finger-pointing exercise among CBC members and the only Black Republican House member, with the farmers stuck in the middle.

At issue: hundreds of millions of dollars that are owed to the farmers as part of a multi-billion dollar settlement the farmers reached with the federal government to end a class-action lawsuit accusing the USDA of racism in making loans and disaster payments, and a fast approaching deadline for Black claims to be settled. The agency has been the target of many lawsuits and racial discrimination claims from employees as well as from farmers.

Nearly 20,000 Black farmers have already applied to receive a portion of the settlement money. Payments have been approved (but not yet delivered) to 13,000 of those claimants, according to CBC members, citing USDA figures.

"We hope to strike a disabling blow to the continued discrimination at the USDA, to ensure that this discrimination will never again raise its ugly head," Rep. Eva Clayton (D-N.C.) told reporters June 14, when she and several of her CBC colleagues introduced three bills intended to "give hope to the farmers and USDA employees, who for more than four decades have suffered under a system that was designed to protect them."

Just five days later, surrounded by dozens of Black farmers from throughout the South, Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) chairman of the House Republican Conference, accused the CBC members of "playing politics."

"America�s Black farmers deserve our united support," Mr. Watts said June19, vowing to reintroduce a non-binding House resolution with no legal authority, which called for speedier payments to the farmers. A similar resolution was defeated in May, with CBC members voting solidly against it. "We must reject those who attempt to play politics with their plight for purely political gain," Mr. Watts said.

Members of the Black Farmers Agriculturists Association (BFAA) joined the fray, vowing to punish CBC members who did not support the Republican-backed resolution. "We have representatives here from most of the (21) BFAA chapters who have told stories of disappointment with their Black congressional representatives on issues that concern them in their states," BFAA President Gary Grant told the Juneteenth Day rally in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Specifically, disgruntled Black farmers from Georgia promised to withhold their support for the re-election of Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), citing his vote against the non-binding resolution, among other complaints.

Just three days later, CBC members convened again to "set the record straight" concerning the "consistent role" the CBC has played in seeking relief for the Black farmers.

Rep. Bishop also defended his efforts in behalf of Black farmers. He does not, he said, understand why his outspoken critics "choose to misspeak the truth," Mr. Bishop said in response to a question from The Final Call. "As we get further down the election trail, we may find out what (their) motives are."

A number of other CBC members "made it absolutely clear that this was a top priority issue," Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Cal.), former CBC chairperson said. "The members of the CBC joined with Black farmers from all over the country.

"We literally took the Attorney General by the hand and the Agriculture Secretary by the hand and helped forge the language and the strategy for waving the statute of limitations," that had expired in part because of the racially discriminatory actions of USDA staff and which threatened to leave the Black farmers landless, and without compensation, Rep. Waters said.

CBC members noted that they were instrumental in arranging meetings for the farm leaders with President Bill Clinton, as well as various USDA officials. As a result of CBC efforts, in June 1998 Black Farmer Statute of Limitations legislation passed, with $40 million in funding. Shortly thereafter, the historic "Pigford v. Glickman" class action lawsuit against USDA was settled.

"The press thinks that just because someone has a Black face or Black skin that gives them some kind of instant credibility to speak on behalf of the Black community," Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) told reporters. "I�ve never taken a partisan shot, a racial shot, a personal shot at J.C. Watts," Mr. Watt said, calling the Republican leader his "good friend" and pointing out that because of the similarity in the spelling of their names they often mistakenly receive mail addressed to one another.

"But the nerve of somebody coming forward who has, up to this point disavowed any representational interest in the Black community, hasn�t even been willing to join the Congressional Black Caucus, and now comes forward and says �I�m going to speak on behalf farmers, when I haven�t done a thing,� is just outrageous," Mr. Watt said.

"Anybody who thinks that the Republicans are interested in helping the Black farmer, is tantamount to the chicken voting for Colonel Sanders," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). "The record is clear. We have always been interested, as a party, and as a Caucus, in helping solve the plight of the Black farmer. We�re not where we want to be, but we�re a long way from where we used to be."

By the end of the day Rep. Watts, the Republican, was offering an olive branch, in the form of praise for past CBC efforts, and calling for a return to bi-partisan cooperation. "It is important to note the CBC�s efforts" concerning Black farmers "have been very honorable and commendable, and Black farmers owe them a debt of gratitude for their work," Mr. Watts said in statement following the CBC press conference.

The Republican leader once again called on CBC members to support another Republican-backed, non-binding resolution concerning farm payments. CBC officials denounced the measure as "pablum," vowing to once again oppose it.

Instead, they called for the GOP leadership to support the "real food" contained in three "substantive" proposals made by CBC members to: restructure USDA policies and hold the agency "accountable;" protect the civil rights of all small farmers; and to resolve employee disputes at the agency which is nicknamed "the last plantation."

Black farmers, meanwhile, would not renounce their new friends in the GOP. "Farmers are upset. Farmers see nothing, other than the fact that they don�t have any money," John Boyd, National Black Farmers Association president told The Final Call after the CBC press conference. "We have been strategizing how we can get a bill out, between the majority and the minority, that can help the farmers get some immediate results before the Fourth of July."

"The farmers deserve a final solution," BFAA executive director Sam Taylor added. "They should not have to come back to Washington for this matter. The Black Caucus credentials are not at stake here. They have fought valiantly. The issue is not the partisanship." Mr. Taylor proposed cooperation among CBC members and the Republican leadership.

"If J.C. Watts is opening up the door," Mr. Boyd added, "we�re going have to walk through it."