Psaki says Biden backs 'a number of components' of legislation to establish reparations commission

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday said that President Biden backs "a number of components" of H.R. 40, legislation that would create a commission that would examine and develop proposals for reparations for African Americans.

Psaki said that the president is supportive of the bill's funding and proposed "study, which he feels would be the next important step forward and something that he feels would be absolutely correct in addressing this moment in history." The bill includes authorization for the appropriation of $12 million in order to carry out the Act's provisions.

Politico reported that Biden met on Tuesday with Congressional Black Caucus members who raised the need for the bill: "He didn't disagree with what we're doing," Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan said. "He did talk about his plate [being] full with trying to get the infrastructure bill passed and that he really wanted to make sure that he could get that through before he took on anything else."

The president's largest concern regarding the legislation is "getting it through the Senate," Lawrence said, according to Politico.