OAN's Avril Elfie
5:02 PM – Thursday, January 18, 2024
New York Democratic Congressman Jamal Bowman is co-sponsoring a $14 trillion reparations bill to the federal government for ongoing systemic racism, American slavery, and its aftermath.
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In addition to supporting the National Association of Publishers, the National Association of Black Broadcasters, and “Restoring Voting Rights for Persons Who Are Currently or Formerly Incarcerated,” HR 414 would provide support to 107 HBCUs across the United States. would provide free college education to black Americans. Nation.
Additionally, Mr. Bowman gave examples of why he believes the country can afford to take such steps. He also mentioned how the federal government has provided continued financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as U.S. efforts to fund the Space Race.
“When COVID-19 was destroying us, we invested in the American people in a way that kept our economy afloat,” Bowman said. “Governments can invest in reparations in the same way without raising taxes on anyone.”
“Where did the money come from?” Bowman said. “We spent it making it exist.”
Bowman is one of the nine sponsors of the bill, which aims to stop the U.S. from “enslaving Africans and the lasting harm it inflicted on the lives of millions of black people in the United States.” to prove that there is a moral and legal obligation to make reparations.
The bill, first introduced in May 2023, would require the federal government to invest $14 trillion in reparations programs to help “Black and African American descendants of enslaved people.”
The measure would address concerns about racial disparities in housing, mass incarceration, and education.
The bill also states that it would “eliminate the racial wealth gap that currently exists between black and white Americans.”
Bowman added, “Incarcerated people should be able to vote.”
“And I definitely think they should be automatically entitled once they're published,” he argued.
He also said he believed trillions of dollars could be distributed over decades rather than all at once.
“Who said we had to pay $14 trillion all at once?” Bowman said. “It might be possible to pay it off over five, 10, 20 years. That $333,000 he could split up into X number of monthly checks. Do the right thing, do what you have to do. There are creative ways to do it.”
According to academic estimates cited in the bill, the United States has “captured more than 222 trillion hours of energy.” [free] Forced labor from 1619 to 1865, worth $97 billion today. ”
“246 years of free labor has generated trillions or even hundreds of trillions of dollars for the U.S. economy,” Bowman said. “If slavery didn't build the economy, we wouldn't have the economy we have today.”
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