Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell slammed Democrats’ plan for reparations for slavery on Tuesday, saying, “no one currently alive was responsible for that.”
While addressing the media on Capitol Hill, the Kentucky Republican was asked about the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties holding a hearing this week on reparations.
The hearing, which was scheduled and created by Democrats, will feature testimony from left-wing Hollywood actor Danny Glover and author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who are attempting to make the case for reparations.
When asked about whether the U.S. Senate will take up any measure on the issue, McConnell made it clear that he would never let that happen.
REPORTER: There’s going to be a hearing on reparations for slavery tomorrow. I’m wondering where do you stand on that issue. Do you believe in reparations for slavery and, if not, should there be an apology from Congress or from the president in recognition of the theft of labor.
MAJORITY LEADER MCCONNELL: I don’t think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago for whom none of us currently living are responsible is a good idea. We’ve tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation. We’ve elected an African-American president. I think we’re always a work in progress in this country, but no one currently alive is responsible for that and I don’t think we should be trying to figure out how to compensate for it. First of all, it’s hard to figure out who to compensate. Waves of immigrants who’ve come to the country as well and experiences dramatic discrimination of one kind or another. So no, I don’t think reparations are a good idea.
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