Back in February, the Obama Administration approved a $1.25 billion court-ordered settlement for Black farmers who filed a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, claiming racial discrimination. Congress failed to approve these funds seven times since the settlement was announced.

But yesterday, after a long battle, Congress approved the 2010 Claims Settlement Act, which now awaits President Obama’s signature.

The Senate failed once again to approve the nearly $1.25 billion owed to black farmers. The settlement stems from a dispute between the Department of agriculture and minority farmers over racial discrimination. The payment has been held up in the House, where Republicans recently rejected a plan to pay the settlement. Gary Grant, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association has been fighting to secure the funding; he responds to the latest holdup.

It's been 11 years and the nation's black farmers have still not received the nearly $1.25 billion settlement they were promised by the Agriculture Department. The Senate was expected to approve the measure before the start of recess last Thursday, but Republicans put the brakes on the vote after citing concerns that Democrats had not outlined a plan to pay for the settlement.

Black farmers were once again passed over by the government. They have been waiting for millions promised to them in a settlement following a discrimination lawsuit. Last night, when Congress passed an emergency funding bill to supplement the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it removed funding allocated to pay the farmers from the bill. Gary Grant, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association says that the lack of action is keeping them in poverty. "We have to get Congress to understand that they are acting very inappropraitely and causing a festering sore in this country not to heal," says Grant.

Yesterday the Senate defeated a jobs bill, which included $4.6 billion to pay a settlement to American black farmers. The bill was crucial to the farmers, who won a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture charging years of discriminatory loan practices. 

We've been monitoring the story all year, and bring back the president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, Gary Grant, for his response. "Ordinary people never get anything in Washington," he says, "We won't give up. It will not be put to rest - that's for sure."

Black Farmers are on Capitol Hill this week lobbying for payment of a $1.2 Billion settlement ordered to them by a federal judge. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are on their side, so why is it so hard for them to get their check? Todd Zwillich speaks with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) about some of the bureaucratic snags facing groups who don't have the money for lobbyists.

Thousands of African-American farmers are still waiting to receive $1.25 billion in government settlement money stemming from years of discriminatory loan practices by the United States Department of Agriculture. Congress had until March 31 to appropriate the funds but went on a two-week recess without addressing the issue. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, joined a group of black farmers during a frustrating day on Capitol Hill as they tried to find out if they would ever get paid. 

The Obama administration announced a $1.25 billion settlement yesterday, resolving a decades-long fight by thousands of black farmers who say the Agriculture Department discriminated against them in loan programs. At times, this discrimination forced them to lose their farms.