{"id":1434,"date":"2023-03-16T15:22:15","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T16:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=1434"},"modified":"2023-03-21T13:23:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T13:23:42","slug":"will-challenges-new-discriminatory-federal-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=1434","title":{"rendered":"WILL Challenges New Discriminatory Federal Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This post originally appeared at <a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-challenges-new-discriminatory-federal-agency\/\">https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-challenges-new-discriminatory-federal-agency\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"et_pb_section et_pb_section_4 et_section_regular\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_4\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_8  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_4  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<h1><strong>On behalf of small businesses from Wisconsin, Texas, and Florida, WILL sued President Biden\u2019s new \u201cMinority Business Development Agency\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The News<\/strong>: The Wisconsin Institute for Law &amp; Liberty (WILL) is suing the Biden Administration over its new \u201cMinority Business Development Agency,\u201d which is the first federal agency devoted to helping Americans of some races, but not other races. WILL represents clients from Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida in this new lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas. This is WILL\u2019s eighth lawsuit against the Biden Administration.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The Quotes: <\/strong>WILL Deputy Counsel, Dan Lennington, stated, \u201cAmerica must continue to advance towards a colorblind society where every person is judged on their merit and not the color of their skin. The Biden Administration\u2019s choice to create this race-based agency is a step back for civil rights, and we aim to correct that misstep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">WILL Client, Jeff Nuziard, stated, \u201cIt\u2019s just plain offensive that President Biden set up an agency devoted to helping some races, and not others. Like other small business owners, I\u2019m working hard every day to expand my business and serve my clients. I just wish the Biden Administration would help all businesses in this difficult and uncertain economy, not just some based on race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">WILL Client, Matthew Piper, stated, \u201cThe American dream should be afforded to all Americans regardless of skin color or cultural background. But what we have is a federal government picking winners and losers based on wokeism\u2013enough is enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">WILL Client, Christian Bruckner, stated, \u201cI came to the United States in the 1970s because of the belief that America is the freest nation on earth. And that no matter who you are, what you are, or where you came from, you can do anything. That\u2019s what we are fighting for and I am proud to stand alongside WILL in pursuit of true equality for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_5\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_3_5 et_pb_column_9  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_5  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The Clients:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plaintiff Christian Bruckner, who is from Tampa, Florida, came to America in the 1970s to escape the communist regime in Romania. His parents wanted a better life for him in a country that values constitutional rights and the principle of equality under the law. Bruckner is a disabled small-business owner who works in a historically underutilized business zone. He would like help from the MBDA, but he is ineligible because of his race.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_divider et_pb_divider_0 et_pb_divider_position_ et_pb_space\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_6  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Plaintiff Matthew Piper, from northeast Wisconsin, grew up in extreme poverty, but through hard work and persistence, he eventually graduated with honors from the University of Colorado-Boulder\u2019s Environmental Design and Planning College. As a small business owner, Mr. Piper could benefit from many of the services offered by MBDA, but he is ineligible for those services because he is white.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_divider et_pb_divider_1 et_pb_divider_position_ et_pb_space\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_7  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plaintiff Jeffrey Nuziard, a U.S. Army veteran from the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area, owns and operates Sexual Wellness Centers of Texas, which has two locations but will be expanding to additional locations in the future. Like many businesses, the COVID pandemic significantly impacted Dr. Nuziard\u2019s business, requiring him to delay his grand opening by several months in 2020 and leading to staffing problems. Dr. Nuziard has sought assistance from the federal government in the past but has been denied grants. He is interested in the MBDA because it offers grants, training, access to contracts and networks, financial sourcing assistance, strategic business consulting, and other resources to businesses. But he is not eligible for MBDA assistance because he is white.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_8  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The Lawsuit:<\/strong> WILL\u2019s lawsuit challenges the Minority Business Development Agency, which was enacted into law through the 2021 Infrastructure Act. This is the first time the federal government has created an agency devoted to helping some races, but not others. The lawsuit alleges that the new agency violates the Equal Protection Doctrine, which guarantees that all individuals must be treated equally, without regard to race.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Additional Background: <\/strong>WILL, through its Equality Under the Law Project, has taken aim at various programs at the heart of Biden\u2019s Racial Equity Agenda.\u201d WILL previously sued the Biden Administration for its Farmer Loan-Forgiveness program, which cancelled certain farm loans based on race, and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which provided COVID benefits to certain restaurants with a racial preference. WILL obtained the first nationwide injunctions against both of those programs. WILL is also challenging another portion of the 2021 Infrastructure Act, which sets aside $37 billion in federal contracts to certain small businesses based on race.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">More about WILL\u2019s Equality Under the Law Project can be found here: <a href=\"http:\/\/DefendEquality.org\">DefendEquality.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_2_5 et_pb_column_10  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_image et_pb_image_0\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3573\" height=\"2384\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MBDA-Christian-Bruckner.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"MBDA, Christian Bruckner\" class=\"wp-image-26993\" \/><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_image et_pb_image_1\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mbda-matthew-piper.jpeg\" alt=\"\" title=\"mbda matthew piper\" class=\"wp-image-27053\" \/><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_image et_pb_image_2\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1066\" height=\"1599\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MBDA-Jeff-Nuziard.jpeg\" alt=\"\" title=\"MBDA, Jeff Nuziard\" class=\"wp-image-26994\" \/><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_9  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Read More:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2023-03-20-Complaint-MBDA-w.-verifications.pdf\">Complaint, March, 21, 2023<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_10  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">Help us defend freedom and our cherished American values during this critical time. We can\u2019t do this without you!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_button_module_wrapper et_pb_button_0_wrapper  et_pb_module \">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"et_pb_button et_pb_button_0 et_pb_bg_layout_light\" href=\"https:\/\/interland3.donorperfect.net\/weblink\/weblink.aspx?name=E353511&amp;id=1\">DONATE ONLINE HERE<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_6\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_pb_column_11  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_team_member et_pb_team_member_8 clearfix  et_pb_text_align_center et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_image et-waypoint et_pb_animation_off\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"604\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Rick-Photo.jpeg\" alt=\"Rick Esenberg\" class=\"wp-image-11260\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_description\">\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">Rick Esenberg<\/h4>\n<p class=\"et_pb_member_position\">President and General Counsel<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>rick@will-law.org<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"et_pb_member_social_links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rickesenberg\" class=\"et_pb_font_icon et_pb_twitter_icon\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_pb_column_12  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_team_member et_pb_team_member_9 clearfix  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_image et-waypoint et_pb_animation_off\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"617\" height=\"980\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/WILL_Daniel_Color_003_WEB_980x617_100ppi_Sharpened.jpg\" alt=\"Dan Lennington\" class=\"wp-image-9999\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_description\">\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">Dan Lennington<\/h4>\n<p class=\"et_pb_member_position\">Deputy Counsel<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>dan@will-law.org<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"et_pb_member_social_links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DanLennington\" class=\"et_pb_font_icon et_pb_twitter_icon\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_pb_column_13  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_team_member et_pb_team_member_10 clearfix  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_image et-waypoint et_pb_animation_off\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Cara-Tolliver-2.jpeg\" alt=\"Cara Tolliver\" class=\"wp-image-26937\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_description\">\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">Cara Tolliver<\/h4>\n<p class=\"et_pb_member_position\">Associate Counsel<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>cara@will-law.org<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-challenges-new-discriminatory-federal-agency\/\">WILL Challenges New Discriminatory Federal Agency<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\">Wisconsin Institute for Law &amp; Liberty<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post originally appeared at https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-challenges-new-discriminatory-federal-agency\/ On behalf of small businesses from Wisconsin, Texas, and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-will"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1434"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1441,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1434\/revisions\/1441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}