Sanders on reparations: There are better ways than ‘just writing a check’

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) raised questions about the issue of reparations Friday during an appearance on “The View.”

His comments come as the issue of reparations for descendants of slavery has become a topic of debate among his fellow 2020 Democratic primary candidates, including Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Neither candidate has offered a specific plan to address the issue.

“What does that mean?” Sanders asked, when when pressed by ABC’s Sunny Hostin on whether he would support some form of reparation plan.

{mosads}”Money,” she answered.

“I think that right now, our job is to address the crises facing the American people and our communities, and I think there are better ways to do that than just writing out a check,” Sanders responded.

Sanders also said during the interview that addressing the needs of “distressed communities” of all races would be a top priority under his presidency.

“I think what we have got to do is pay attention to distressed communities: black communities, Latino communities and white communities, and as president, I pledge to do that,” Sanders said in the interview.

Sen. @BernieSanders says he doesn’t support reparations for slave descendants because there are “better ways” than “just writing out a check”: “I think that right now our job is to address the crises facing the American people in our communities.” https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/Tll5j2iDaD

— The View (@TheView) March 1, 2019

The senator, who announced his presidential bid earlier this month, has faced criticism in the past that his 2016 campaign team was not diverse enough.

His 2020 campaign co-chairs include Nina Turner, the head of his Our Revolution organization. The senator has also tapped Faiz Shakir, a progressive activist and a Muslim, to manage his campaign in what is believed to be the first instance of a Muslim American running a major presidential campaign.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) affirmed her support this week for a bill by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) that would establish a commission to study the issue of granting reparations to African-Americans.