By the time the United States elected its first African-American President in 2008, Congress had yet to formally apologize for the country's "original sin" — its treatment of African-Americans during the eras of slavery and Jim Crow. While Congress finally came around six months into the presidency of Barack Obama, the federal apology finalized on July 29, 2009 explicitly said the writ could not be used as a legal rationale for reparations. It came with the following disclaimer, "Nothing in this resolution authorizes or supports any claim against the United States; or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States."