Booker, Lee Renew Effort to Create Congressional Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation

Lawmakers Urge the Creation of Commission to Accompany Efforts Like S.40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

WASHINTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) re-introduced the United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation resolution, which urges the creation of a congressional  commission acknowledging and examining systemic racism that has impacted Black Americans throughout U.S. history and the racial inequities that persist today.

“To realize our nation’s promise of being a place for liberty and justice for all, we must acknowledge and address the systemic racism and white supremacy that have been with us since our country’s founding and continue to persist in our laws, our policies and our lives to this day,” said Senator Booker. “The first ever congressional commission on truth, racial healing, and transformation will be a critical compliment to other urgent legislative efforts, like S.40, which would establish a commission on reparations. Together, these proposals are a necessary step in beginning to root out systemic racism in our institutions, creating proposals for addressing and repairing for past harm, and building a more just nation for every American.”

“Inequality, systemic racism, and white supremacy are at the heart of every crisis we’re facing right now – the COVID-19 public health crisis disproportionately impacting communities of color, the crises of police brutality and mass incarceration, the crisis of poverty, and much more,” said Congresswoman Lee. “We’ve made substantial progress, but the legacy of systemic racism clearly shows that the chains of slavery have yet to be broken. This commission will educate and inform the public about the historical context for the current inequalities we witness each and every day. I’m proud to partner with Senator Booker on this effort, which is complimentary to the push for establishing a commission on reparations championed by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, who I’m pleased is also a supporter if this legislation. We cannot heal without truth, and establishing a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation will be a crucial step toward that end.”

Senate Co-sponsors include: Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-CT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Alex Padilla (D-CA)

House Co-Sponsors include: Reps. Barroragán, Bass, Beatty, Bishop [GA], Blumenauer, Blunt Rochester, Bowman, Brown, Bush, Butterfield, Carson, Casten, Castro, Cicilline, Clark, Clarke, Cooper, Crow, Dean, DelBene, Demings, DeSaulnier, Dingell, Eshoo, Espaillat, Evans, Garcia [TX], Gomez, Green [TX], Grijalva, Hastings, Hayes, Horsford, Jayapal, Jones, Johnson [GA], Kelly [IL], Khanna, Kildee, Kilmer, Kim [NJ], Kirkpatrick, Krishnamoorthi, Lawrence, Levin [CA], Levin [MI], Lieu, Lowenthal, Maloney [NY-12], Maloney [NY-18] Matsui, McCollum, Meeks, Meng, Moore [WI], Napolitano, Neguse, Norton, Pallone, Panetta, Pingree, Pocan, Porter, Pressley, Quigley, Raskin, Ross, Rush, Ryan, Sánchez, Sarbanes, Schiff, Schakowsky, Sherrill, Sires, Smith [WA], Soto, Speier, Stevens, Suozzi, Thompson [MS], Tlaib, Tonko, Trone, Watson Coleman, Veasey, Williams [GA], Yarmuth, McNernery (CA)

Earlier this month, Senator Booker and Representative Lee re-introduced their bicameral Confederate Monument Removal Act. The legislation would remove all statues of people who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from the National Statuary Hall Collection.

The full text of the resolution can be viewed here.