Reparation debate revives at Dem House

Democrats have avoided the reparations debate for African Americans for decades. But now the issue is overflowing in the House and the new majority is wondering how to solve it before the 2020 campaign.

Raised in part by the support of several presidential candidates, the subject has been discussed several times by the best Democrats in the House, including when they retired to the suburbs of Virginia earlier this month.

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But the question is likely to divide the party – not only by race, but by generation. The black caucus of Congress is noticeably divided, with some younger African-American lawmakers claiming to force the conversation to unfold while older members worry about the alienation of moderate voters.

"I'm glad we have this discussion and it seems like an adult discussion for a change," said James Clyburn (DS.C.), the majority whip at House House, the highest ranking African-American. at the congress. "We are simply making people understand that repair means, by definition," altering. "Now, the question is how to make amends."

A discussion about repairs is not without risk, however, according to Clyburn and some other senior lawmakers and aides. Forcing the issue would probably open Democrats to Republican attacks in the 2020 race.

But avoiding this – especially with Democrats controlling Parliament with the most diverse caucus in history – could also deter color voters who think it's an important conversation, especially with President Donald Trump at home White and white nationalism rising.

"As this administration seemed to force some questions, I think everyone wants to have an honest discussion about everyone in this country," said Clyburn.

The fact that Democrats are seriously considering such a response to the bitter legacy of slavery and discrimination against African Americans underscores the speed with which the party has changed in recent years. While Barack Obama opposed reparations as a presidential candidate, White House hopes such as Sense. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) And Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) And former secretary of the HUD, Julián Castro, were open to this idea.

Senator Cory Booker (DN.J.), another presidential candidate, introduced a complementary bill to the legislation sponsored by the representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), which would create a commission charged with study the concept of repair.

Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Who heads the Congressional Black Caucus, said she thought the House could act one way or another on the issue this year .

One of the options is the Jackson Lee proposal – a law introduced in 1989 by former representative John Conyers (D-Mich.), But that has never been retained.

Jackson Lee's bill has nearly 50 co-authors and she told POLITICO that she was preparing to send a letter to her "dear colleague" in the coming weeks in order to solicit more support from the caucus. Jackson Lee also stated that she expects her bill to receive a hearing before the Judiciary Committee of the House.

President Nancy Pelosi has also publicly voiced support for the bill, although Democratic leaders have not pledged to vote.

"We want to be listening to all Americans and we know how diverse this country has become," said Jackson Lee in an interview. "As Democrats, we have always wanted to tell the American people that we are for the people."

The idea was supported by some of the progressive superstars who are currently leading much of the conversation within the Democratic Party.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) Has expressed her support for the repairs several times in recent months. Rashida Tlaib, a first year representative, now representing Conyers District in the Detroit area, is a strong supporter of Jackson Lee's bill.

"His bill is exactly the starting point on which we need to have a full conversation about repairs," said Tlaib.

Bass said that she also supported Jackson Lee's bill – unlike other bills over the years – because it would focus on how racism was anchored in the institutions of the country, rather than just distributing money.

"My problem with the whole reparations discussion is that it's really used, in my opinion, to ridicule African Americans, as if what interested blacks was a check," Bass said in an interview. "And that's not the question. The goal is to really look at what happened in this country, its history, because we have never faced it. "

Although some Democrats are worried that the word "reparations" might be too controversial, as it could evoke the notion of direct payments to slave descendants, supporters note that they are talking about something much broader.

Some Democrats, including Clyburn, said they were supportive of the study but noted that the process would take years – if the bill was passed by the GOP-controlled Senate and signed by Trump – and that there are more immediate ways to help Africa. Americans and other underserved communities right now.

With this in mind, Democrats should use the appropriation process in the coming months to allocate more federal funding to programs directly benefiting minority communities. Some examples include programs that aim to increase the number of doctors and nurses in minority communities, combat food deserts in underserved neighborhoods, and inject more money into preserving historically black colleges and universities.

"I am all for repairing defects that exist in the country rather than waiting for someone to do a study and then make recommendations," said Clyburn.

Now, Clyburn and other Democrats say they are making sure the issue of reparations becomes a problem in the battle for the House.

The issue was raised at least twice during the Democrats' retreat in Leesburg, Virginia, during which the party celebrated a hundred days in power and discussed the next steps of its program. But for the moment, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Cheri Bustos said she did not see her becoming an important part of the campaign and that the issue had not been raised by voters during the elections. DCCC surveys.

"It's probably the first time, as a caucus, that I see it coming," said Bustos. "We do not talk about it in our [weekly] meetings. "

Democratic Freshman representative, Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, said she supported the study of reparations, calling Jackson Lee's bill "more realistic way" to address the subject. Hayes expressed frustration at what she saw as an anticipatory attempt by the 2020 candidates, who were content to ask for reparations but gave no explanation as to what that meant.

"I do not want to hear things to hear them," said Hayes. "What is the final game, what is the ultimate goal here?"

Other lawmakers said that the public did not listen to the debate.

Representative Joe Cunningham, a Democrat who toppled 19% of African Americans in a Republican District in Charleston, South Carolina, said repairs were not made during his campaign of the year latest.

"This is not something that has come up in our election," Cunningham said. "There are some things that come up in the presidential elections and they are repeated at each cycle – you know the information about the electoral college – but, on a daily basis, I think people talk about other issues, such as the cost of their care. health."

Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.