Video: ‘Squad’ Rep Proposes Bill for Immediate Reparations

Democratic “Squad” Member Introduces Resolution for Reparations

Fixing the Black-White Wealth Gap

Cori Bush, a member of the Democratic “Squad” from Missouri, has introduced a resolution calling for immediate reparations to fix the “Black-White wealth gap.” At a Wednesday briefing introducing the proposal, Bush stated that “when the black-white wealth gap is $14 trillion, it’s unjust and it wouldn’t happen in a just and fair and equitable society.”

The resolution, titled “Reparations Now,” supports another bill, H.R. 40, which would establish a federal commission to study and develop a plan to distribute reparations for black Americans.

Bush emphasized that “black people in our country cannot wait any longer for our government to begin addressing each and every one of the extraordinary bits of harm … it has caused since the founding.”

Endorsements and Opposition

Representative Jamaal Bowman from New York endorsed Bush’s resolution and pointed to California as “the real leader” in the push for reparations, despite the state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, rejecting a state board’s recommendations for reparation payouts. Newsom sunk the idea after the board proposed up to $1.2 million per eligible black resident.

Representative Rashida Tlaib from Michigan is also backing the proposal, stating that reparations are “necessary” to reach “true equality.” Tlaib emphasized that “they need to make sure that reparations is part of the movement towards equitable distribution of resources.”

The move comes just days after Tlaib and Bush were the only two House members to vote against a resolution honoring police who died in the line of duty. The measure, which was meant to support “National Police Week,” passed 413-2 on Monday. The pair said the measure pushed a “false narrative.”

Controversies

Bush is best known for her controversial payments to security guards. In February, she secretly married a man she had paid tens of thousands of dollars to for security services. Another security guard on her payroll is an anti-Semitic spiritual guru who says he can summon earthquakes and use blood rituals to destroy his enemies.