WASHINGTON�Black farmers came to Capitol Hill once again to voice disapproval of continued unfair treatment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture�even though USDA has settled a class action bias lawsuit filed by the farmers.

Testifying before a House agriculture subcommittee Oct. 14, the farmers said it was "racist" business-as-usual at USDA and the agency was not acting in good faith to pay farmers� settlement claims.

"Nothing has changed at USDA. They�re still playing games and using every trick in the book to avoid paying Black farmers for past wrongs," said Gary Grant, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturists Association (BFAA). BFAA filed the lawsuit against USDA on behalf of the farmers in 1997 and is appealing the current settlement agreement reached with USDA and signed by Judge Paul Friedman. The lawsuit accused USDA of denying loans and services to Black farmers because of their race.

Lawyers have filed a motion for extension of the Oct. 11 deadline for farmers to file lawsuit claims, citing problems "thousands of farmers" face in getting their paperwork in by the deadline. "Hurricane Floyd destroyed records and caused delays in North Carolina, South Carolina and elsewhere. Then you have many homebound farmers where lawyers have to go to them, as well as many, many farmers who�ve just found out about it," said John Zippert, Alabama director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives (FSC).

The FSC wants an additional 60 days for farmers "to get the claims packages and then get them in," according to communications director Heather Gray.

In a press release, the National Black Farmers� Association (NBFA) reported that "several law firms will not be finished preparing claim packages by the deadline." NBFA is seeking a 180-day extension on the deadline.

Court records indicate that 51,000 claims packages have been sent out and more than 17,500 claims have been submitted by Black farmers. Thus far 60 percent of the claims have been rejected by the government for lack of sufficient documentation. "Farmers are being held to an unreasonable standard of proof by the government after telling us that filing claims would be as �easy as tying your shoes,� " Mr. Grant said.

Farmers told committee members that little has been done at USDA to remedy systemic discrimination. They say only 15 USDA employees have been reprimanded for their actions and punishment usually consisted of "being transferred or sent home one day without pay," and "nobody has been fired."

Testimony by Rosslyn Gray, USDA civil rights director, assuring changes were being made fell on deaf ears.

One of the more outrageous incidents related to the subcommittee was the case of a USDA employee in Virginia who kept a gun in his office desk drawer. He was only reprimanded by the department.

It�s not clear whether the farmers� last ditch effort for more time to submit discrimination claims will be successful. According to BFAA�s Gary Grant, Ms. Gray said USDA Secretary Dan Glickman is "not opposed to an extension." Others though, believe that the government will grant extensions in hardship cases but not change the overall deadline.