WHAT

Rep. Jason Lewis: Black People on Welfare ‘Substituted One Plantation for Another’

He also called welfare recipients “parasites.”

Rep. Jason Lewis, a Republican from Minnesota, once said on his radio show that welfare recipients are “parasites” and that black people have “traded one plantation for another.” Lewis made these remarks on The Jason Lewis Show, which he hosted between 2009 and 2012. “Now, you've got the modern welfare state that tells black folks and Hispanic folks and poor white folks: ‘Don’t worry. We’ll take care of you.’ What is the difference? You’ve substituted one plantation for another,” he said in April 2012. Lewis has also complained that he cannot call women “sluts” and said that black people have an “entitlement mentality.” Lewis called the Americans with Disabilities Act “one of the worst” laws and said part of the Civil Rights Act is unconstitutional. His spokesperson told CNN that the outlet is “free to focus on past rhetoric instead of Congressman Lewis’ record in Congress, and they will no doubt continue to ignore the substance of the arguments, but it does little to add to the debate.”