Texas Cafe Owner Files Lawsuit Against Biden for Discrimination
Policy actively excludes a massive portion of Americans
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A cafe owner in Texas is suing the Biden administration for alleged discrimination, which prevents him from getting coronavirus relief grants due to his gender and race.
The owner of Greer’s Ranch Café, Philip Greer, filed a lawsuit against Biden, claiming he would lose out on receiving funds from a Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant because it prioritizes grants to women and racial minorities.
The agency is required to prioritize women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged business owners under section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act.
The portion of the $28.6 billion funds is allocated to create the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
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The Small Business Administration regulations state:
The socially disadvantaged individuals are individuals “who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of their identities as members of groups and without regard to their individual qualities. The social disadvantage must stem from circumstances beyond their control."
Those who are disadvantaged economically are considered to be those whose “ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same or similar line of business who are not socially disadvantaged.”
Greer argues such a policy actively excludes a massive portion of Americans not mentioned in the “priority” group.
He states the Americans who are missing out are also suffering significant financial losses caused by the pandemic.
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The lawsuit states (pdf):
“The Small Business Administration lurches America dangerously backward, reversing the clock on American progress, and violating our most sacred and revered principles by actively and invidiously discriminating against American citizens solely based upon their race and sex."
"This is illegal, it is unconstitutional, it is wrong, and it must stop."
The lawsuit calls for a block on policies that discriminate against certain classes of Americans.
It also argues it would be necessary to “promote equal rights under the law for all American citizens and promote efforts to stop racial discrimination.”
“The decision from the Biden Administration to determine eligibility and priority for restaurant relief funds based upon race is profoundly illegal and morally outrageous,” AFL President and former Trump adviser Stephen Miller said in a statement.
“It is an affront to our laws, our Constitution, and our most dearly-held values.”
Also named in the suit as a defendant is SBA administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.
The SBA said they would not comment on pending litigation when reached for comment.
The SBA announced it received 147,000 applications from women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged business owners who requested a total of $29 billion in relief funds.
“The numbers show that we’ve been particularly successful at reaching the smallest restaurants and underserved communities that have struggled to access relief. These businesses are the pillars of our nation’s neighborhoods and communities,” Guzman said in a statement.
