Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) has reintroduced H.R. 40, a bill to establish a federal commission to study reparations for descendants of enslaved people.
Pressley, who takes over the effort from the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, became emotional as she acknowledged the weight of carrying the legislation forward.
“It is an honor,” Pressley said before her voice broke. “In my last correspondence with [Jackson Lee], she said keep working on our priorities and never give up.”
H.R. 40, first introduced in 1989 by former Rep. John Conyers Jr., has been reintroduced in every Congress since. Despite its long history, the legislation faces an uphill battle with Republican control of Congress and the White House.
“This bill is not a symbolic gesture but a meaningful step toward truth, reconciliation, and accountability,” Pressley stated. “I’m not afraid of hard fights.”
Pressley was joined at the press conference by Jackson Lee’s daughter, former Rep. Erica Lee Carter, as well as Reps. Summer Lee (D-PA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is the lead sponsor in the Senate, with over 70 co-sponsors already backing the bill.
Pressley added:
“We are in a moment of anti-blackness on steroids and we refuse to be silent we will not back down in our pursuit of racial Justice and while we do the work of resistance and blunting the many harms of this hostile anti-black Administration it’s imperative that we continue advancing an affirmative agenda for Black America in building momentum toward this critical priority.”
Lee Carter praised Pressley’s leadership, saying:
The press conference also included criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration for rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Clarke warned of efforts to erase Black history and dismantle economic opportunities for Black communities, while Jackson affirmed, “We are not going backwards.”
Despite opposing DEI programs, the White House issued a proclamation recognizing February as National Black History Month.
