Squad member Representative Cori Bush introduced controversial reparations legislation yesterday.
Her bill calls for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans.
She says that slavery, Jim Crow, and mass incarceration have held back Black Americans from economic gains while the federal government exploits them. But House Resolution 40 “will help restore national balance and unity in terms of wealth.”
To put Bush’s bill in perspective, $14 trillion is more than 40% of the United States’ current debt.
Cash payments to slave descendants are frequently proposed in Congress, but the majority of Americans oppose them. This includes 90% of Republicans and nearly half of Democrats.
However, the movement is gaining traction in some states and cities. This includes California, where a committee recently recommended that the state make payments.