A majority of Americans oppose paying reparations to descendants of slaves, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll.
The survey found that 56 percent of registered voters were in agreement that reparations were not necessary because these “harms have been been adequately compensated.” Twenty percent of respondents said they were in favor of reparations, while 24 percent said they were unsure.
The idea was a divisive issue among voters along party lines.
Eighty-one percent of Republicans opposed reparations, compared to 36 percent of Democrats. More than half of Independents — 57 percent — meanwhile said the same.
When broken by race, the poll showed that 55 percent of black voters support some form of compensatory payment, compared to only 11 percent of white voters.
The poll also found that the older voters were, the less inclined they are to support the notion.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans 65 and older said that there were not in favor of reparations.
Reparations has become a topic of debate in the Democratic presidential primary.
A number of 2020 candidates, including former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'RourkeUnion leader vows 'infrequent' minority voters will help deliver Biden victory Jimmy Carter says his son smoked pot with Willie Nelson on White House roof O'Rourke endorses Kennedy for Senate: 'A champion for the values we're most proud of' MORE and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, have voiced some level of support for reparations, saying the issue should be further reviewed.
Presidential candidate Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.) introduced legislation earlier this year to study granting reparations to African Americans.
The bill boasts 15 co-sponsors so far and six of these co-sponsors are Booker's fellow Democratic contenders. This includes Sens. Kamala Harris
Kamala HarrisOvernight Defense: Top military officers quarantine after positive COVID case | Distracted pilot, tech issues led to F-35 crash It matters: Kamala Harris and the VP debate CDC director says it's safe for Pence to take part in debate MORE (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten GillibrandBill to expand support for community addiction treatment passes House Meeting Trump Supreme Court pick a bridge too far for some Democrats Sunday shows preview: Lawmakers prepare for SCOTUS confirmation hearings before election MORE (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth WarrenCongress fiddles while the US burns, floods, and ails Trump targets Biden on Roe v. Wade comments Top House lawmakers launch investigation into Pentagon redirecting COVID-19 funds MORE (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersCongress fiddles while the US burns, floods, and ails Fauci gets his own action figure Supreme Court opens new term in divisive era MORE (I-Vt.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Amy KlobucharWarner calls for Facebook, Twitter and Google to safeguard against election disinformation The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump claims health improving amid transparency criticism Sunday shows - Trump's positive coronavirus test reverberates MORE (D-Minn.), and Michael Bennet
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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Sheila Jackson LeeGrand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death Hillicon Valley: Murky TikTok deal raises questions about China's role | Twitter investigating automated image previews over apparent algorithmic bias | House approves bill making hacking federal voting systems a crime House approves legislation making hacking voting systems a federal crime MORE (D-Texas), meanwhile, has introduced a companion bill in the House.
However, neither bill takes a position on paying reparations to descendants of slaves.
The Hill-HarrisX poll was conducted online among 1,000 registered voters from June 29-30. The sampling margin of error of this poll was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
—Tess Bonn