House Dems introduce $14 trillion reparations proposal for descendants of slaves

WASHINGTON (TND) — House Democrats introduced a resolution Wednesday calling for $14 trillion worth of reparations to go to descendants of slaves.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., announced the resolution during a press conference, claiming the United States "has a moral and legal obligation" to compensate Black Americans for the enslavement of their ancestors.

"Our country was not founded on the principle that all people are created equally," Rep. Bush said. "It was founded at the expense of the lives, freedom and well-being of Black people."

Rep. Bush was joined at the press conference by several other lawmakers, including Rep. RashidaTlaib, D-Mich. Both Bush and Tlaib are considered members of "The Squad," a group of ultra-progressive members of Congress whose controversial statements and proposals frequently make headlines.

Reparations is necessary towards really true equity," Rep. Tlaib said. "We hear the Biden administration and so many others talk about that word equity. They need to make sure that reparations is part of the movement toward equitable distribution, of resources, and making sure we acknowledge again the fact that we have racial injustices and structures right now that are systemically racist in our country."

The $14 trillion proposal comes as President Joe Biden and congressional leaders continue to negotiate about the federal debt ceiling. Republicans are pushing for significant cuts to federal spending in exchange for a deal that would prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debts.

The idea of cash reparations for descendants of slaves has been met with strong pushback, including from the Black community. The San Francisco chapter of the NAACP rejected a proposal created by a local committee to give "one-time, lump sum" payments of $5 million to eligible Black residents.

"We strongly believe that creating and funding programs that can improve the lives of those who have been impacted by racism and discrimination is the best path forward toward equality and justice," San Francisco NAACP President Amos Brown said in a statement.

READ MORE | NAACP rejects reparations proposal to give $5 million payments to descendants of slavery

Since the San Francisco proposal came to light, a series of similar reparations plans have been suggested or introduced by lawmakers across the country. A socialist Denver councilwoman recently suggested taxing "'white-led businesses" to fund reparations forminority-owned businesses.

Capitalism was built on stolen land, stolen labor and stolen resources," Denver Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca said. "And a check today could not undo the cumulative impact of generations of that stolen wealth in all of those categories."

READ MORE |Denver councilmember proposes taxing 'white-led businesses' for reparations

Likewise, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) in California is considering a proposal to give cash payments to Black students who are descendants of slaves. The district has created a task force that will figure out how to fund the reparations proposal by January 2024.

Wednesday's proposal by Rep. Bush stirred fierce debate on social media, with some critics pointing to her position in Congress as evidence that reparations are unwarranted.

"Yet here you are a black female sitting in Congress. One of the most powerful positions in our country, yet you want reparations. You sound very oppressed," authorJohn Mattingly said to Rep. Bush on Twitter.