A New York lawmaker, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, is advocating for a groundbreaking $14 trillion reparations measure. Bowman, a member of the far-left “Squad,” introduced a proposal calling for the federal government to take responsibility for the historical impact of slavery and its aftermath. Bowman highlights two significant examples to support his case: the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic “space race” endeavor. He argues that these instances demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed reparations measure. “When COVID was causing devastation, we invested in the American people in a way that sustained the economy,” said Bowman. “Similarly, the government can invest in reparations without imposing additional taxes on anyone.” Bowman is one of nine sponsors of H.R. 414, a bill that aims to establish the United States’ moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and the enduring harm it caused to millions of Black people in the United States. The measure proposes allocating $14 trillion for a reparations program that would primarily benefit the descendants of enslaved Black people and individuals of African descent. Census figures indicate that Black Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population. According to Bowman, the proposed reparations program could address concerns related to perceived racial disparities in housing, mass incarceration, and educational outcomes. Additionally, the bill aims to “eliminate the racial wealth gap that currently exists between Black and White Americans.” Bowman also advocates for the enfranchisement of incarcerated individuals, stating that they should retain their voting rights both during and after incarceration. Bowman points out that the federal government spent approximately $7 trillion in 2020, which accounted for about 28% of the nation’s $25 trillion economy. He envisions that the $14 trillion for reparations could be distributed over several decades, similar to how the country funded the Space Race in the 1960s. The bill references scholars’ estimates that the U.S. benefited from over 222 trillion hours of forced labor between 1619 and the end of slavery in 1865, which would be valued at an astonishing $97,000,000,000,000 today. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)