Washington — As Americans commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people on Juneteenth, Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri is utilizing the federal holiday to propel new legislation for reparations for their descendants.
“This is the opportune moment to introduce it, and this is the kind of action we needed,” stated Bush. “I believe it is the first of its kind on the Congressional Record.”
In May, Bush introduced H.R. 414, The Reparations Now Resolution. The 23-page proposal argues for federal reparations, citing a “moral and legal obligation” for the United States to address the “enslavement of Africans and its long-lasting impact” on millions of Black Americans.
The bill would support other reparatory justice measures and formally recognize the progress of state and local reparations movements. Bush believes ongoing efforts in Evanston, Boston, San Francisco, and her hometown of St. Louis could garner support for federal reparations.
“Our mayor recently established a commission to explore what reparations would entail for St. Louis,” said Bush, who has the support of nearly 300 grassroots organizations. “Because we are seeing progress at the local level, it will greatly contribute to the nationwide push for reparations.”
The resolution does not explicitly call for direct cash payments but recommends that the federal government allocate $14 trillion “to close the racial wealth gap between Black and White Americans.”
Bush considers it a “starting point” and refers to scholars who estimate that the United States benefitted from over 222 million hours of forced labor between 1619 and the end of slavery in 1865, with a present-day value of approximately $97 trillion.
“This country flourished and expanded through the cultivation and harvesting of tobacco, sugar, rice, and cotton, all of which relied on chattel slavery, and there has been no compensation for that,” she said.
The legislation builds upon decades of efforts in Congress to address reparations. Earlier this year, Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas and Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey reintroduced H.R. 40 and S.40, which would establish a commission to study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans. Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of California also reintroduced a bill to establish the first U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to examine the impact of slavery.
Lee is one of several Democratic co-sponsors of Bush’s resolution. Bush acknowledges that her measure may face opposition from Republicans in the GOP-controlled House who argue that reparations could be too costly and divisive.
“I will hold them accountable for this,” warned Bush. “Restitution and compensation are essential. Rehabilitation must occur, and that is what I will be advocating for.”
A study by the Pew Research Center found that 48% of surveyed Democrats believe descendants of enslaved people should receive some form of repayment, while 91% of Republicans disagree.
Bush, a progressive lawmaker in her second term, has spent two years working on her reparations resolution. She stated that it was one of her top priorities even before assuming office, stemming from her time as a community activist.
“I remember being on the frontlines in Ferguson and feeling like we were doing all the groundwork without representation in Congress to champion our cause,” Bush recalled. “We were making incremental progress without anyone to hit it out of the park. Well, that has changed. Now, we have the power to hit a home run.”
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
