As Democrats are poised to take over the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, one item on the agenda will be to “study” the need for reparations for descendants of slaves.
Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee plans to reintroduce a bill that would create a committee to look at financial compensation for blacks.
“It’s a commission to study the issue of what was the economic impact of the work of slaves and how does it translate in the 21st Century. And what we want to do is to build a narrative, a story of the facts and out of that be able to access how we repair some of the damage,” Jackson Lee recently told Nick Ballasy.
“When you look at urban blight, when you look at schools in inner cities and rural communities that are not at the level of excellence that they should be, when you look at support for [historically black colleges and universities], all of that will be part of understanding that whole journey and that whole economic journey,” she added, according to JP Media.
“And it is interesting that these magnificent buildings were built by slaves, obviously with no compensation. That is not what we are asking for; this bill is to have a commission to hear from people all over the nation.”
She said her bill is “a beginning process and an educational process for the nation in a non-controversial manner, and not in a manner of pitting one group of people against another.”
Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is backing the effort, saying “public servants” should “explore reparations” to “build an audience.”
A few more ways to gain traction:
– Support a Federal Jobs Guarantee
– Bailout Student Debt
– Legalize Marijuana & Explore Reparations, Baby BondsHere’s our Student Loan Cancellation Digital Town Hall w/ @StephanieKelton (from before my primary win!): https://t.co/A1QEZhniUQ pic.twitter.com/s0NeG2IMNr
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2019
Jackson Lee’s comments come just a few months after Maxine Waters told a group that she would help push reparations if Democrats retook the majority.
During an appearance in Selma, Alabama in March, Waters appeared alongside CNN commentator Angela Rye.
Waters took her time to — what else — attack President Trump, criticizing him for his alleged connections to Russia.
“He’s a bully — he has a bully mentality,” Waters said of Trump.
“We need someone in the presidency who not only has good sense but understands diplomacy and understands what we need to do to have peace in this world so we can all look forward to the possibility that we’re someday going to have a world that’s about peace and justice and respect for individual liberty,” Water said.
“Is that your stump speech for 2020?” Rye asked.
As Waters laughed and the crowd applauded, Rye continued, “Is she running? Is she running?”
Waters didn’t answer.
Later, an attendee challenged Waters to push for reparations and take up a bill John Conyers had sponsored in this House in previous sessions.
Waters said she would.
“I’d be happy to do that. That’s no problem,” she answered.
“In order to get where we need to go on this issue and other issues, we really got to understand that 2018 is important in taking back the House and taking back the Senate,” Waters said.
“And of course, we’ve got to get the White House back.”
She continued, “If we want to get to the point where we can get reparations, we’ve got to have the power to do that, Number 1, by having a supportive president would be wonderful, but taking back the House would be absolutely wonderful.”
As PJ Media notes, Jackson Lee had co-sponsored H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, along with John Conyers, who later resigned from Congress over allegations of harassing women.
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