Will he try to do it via executive order? Over Biden’s first two months, he’s already signed more than 40 executive order, by far more than any other president in history over his first 100 days.
Speaking to Axios on HBO, White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond says they are moving forward on reparations without congress.
Currently, Congress has taken up the CongressWOMAN Sheila Jackson-Lee’s bill to form a commission to study and develop proposals for reparation payments to blacks.
Last month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that on the reparations push, “he understands we don't need a study to take action right now on systemic racism, so he wants to take actions within his own government in the meantime."
“Richmond said that while the timeline for the commission isn't knowable, "if you start talking about free college tuition to [historically Black colleges and universities] and you start talking about free community college in Title I and all of those things, I think that you are well on your way."
"We have to start breaking down systemic racism and barriers that have held people of color back and especially African Americans," he said. "[W]e have to do stuff now."
What's next: Richmond pointed to a Biden executive action "breaking down barriers in housing, making sure that African Americans can pass down wealth through homeownership, that their homes are not valued less than homes in different communities just because of the neighborhood it's in."
"We don't want to wait on a study," he said. "We're going to start acting now."”