H.R.40 Re-Introduced in the 118th Congress
Update:
On January 24, 2023, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced S.40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, legislation that would establish a commission to consider proposals for reparations for African American descendants of slavery. The legislation is the Senate companion to H.R. 40, introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18).
Jarrett Smith
January 11, 2023
On the first day of the 118th Congress, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) reintroduced H.R.40 with a speech on the House floor. In her speech, Rep. Lee noted, “H.R.40 is a crucial piece of legislation because it goes beyond exploring the economic implications of slavery and segregation. It is a holistic bill in the sense that it seeks to establish a commission to also examine the moral and social implications of slavery.”
H.R.40 was first introduced in 1989 by former Representative John Conyers (D-MI) and has been introduced in every Congress since. In the last Congress, H.R.40 passed out of the House Judiciary Committee for the first time in its history, however, it failed to receive a vote on the House floor.
NETWORK, and our multi-faith coalition partners, strongly support the passage of H.R.40, however, given the reality of the divided Congress, we also call on President Biden to establish a commission on reparations via Executive Order.
Last year, more than 2,000 Catholic Sisters and Associates sent a letter to President Biden, urging him to fulfil his campaign promise to support reparations. The letter followed a months-long campaign to build support for reparations with vigils organized by NETWORK advocates to pray and act for reparations. The vigils were held across the country in-person and online with local and national faith leaders.
Creating a commission to study and develop reparations proposals, as outlined in H.R.40, is the only policy that will lead to concrete proposals for repairing the damage that the United States government has inflicted on Black people. Its passage will allow us to move towards dismantling white supremacy and towards repair so that we can build anew together.
Catholic Social Teaching is clear: racism is a sin. Our faith teaches us to reject the immoral system of white supremacy and to work for truth-telling and repair. We can no longer deny the sins of the past and its ongoing implications Black people experience every day. NETWORK urges Congress to support and pass H.R.40 in the 118th Congress.
It is time, to do what is right and correct the wrongs of America.
Reparations have been provided for many reasons and cultures in this country for people who were put in concentration camps in this country. People who come into this country claiming refuge. The real problem is overlooking the peoples who have suffered greatly for the US and have lived here all their lives, under constant jim crow and racist conditions and continue to suffer in this country. It is time to make African American people whole.
Native Americans, Asians who were put into concentration camps, and even slave owners were compensated yet slaves and their families were not and these people literally built this country and were never paid. Their families continue to suffer from this crime and discrimination to this day. Reparations are the only way to bring some measures of economic equity.
Pingback: Lent Calls Us to Repent and Make Reparation - NETWORK Lobby
It is sad that our people are still having to prove what they already know to get this bill passed. Our suffering is and was the prosperity of America so to have the audacity to basically say “prove it” when it’s embedded into Americas history is a complete and utter slap in the face. It is sinful that we should still be asking after all it this time for what was promised to us already. May God have no mercy on every evil soul involved with the holding up this due process.