House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott released the below statement in response to the announcement that Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. is resigning from his post as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Chicago-based civil rights group which he founded more than 50 years ago.
“Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. is a lifelong champion for those who have regularly been left behind and forgotten, and House Agriculture Democrats are inspired by his legacy of fighting for our farmers and hungry families.
“Indeed, it was atop a tractor in Glenwood, Minnesota, on an April day in 1985 that Reverend Jackson declared a truth that guides our philosophy in crafting this year’s farm bill: ‘We are natural allies—the farmer and the hungry.’
“He understands that farmers do not want charity, they want opportunity. And he understands that no family goes to bed praying they go hungry the next day, they want the dignity of knowing where their next meal will come from. It was this rallying cry that won him numerous rural primaries as a presidential candidate: from Vermont to Georgia. He has been tireless in his pursuit of justice and fairness for America’s small farmers and struggling families, and we thank him for his profound service to our country and fellow man.”
