Over the past few weeks, our nation has undergone an emotional upheaval. Many ideas have circulated as to how we move forward from these difficult times, and many folks around the country have called for radical changes.
Throughout these times, I have called on our communities to bring commonsense solutions to many of the issues that have been raised, and I have called on my colleagues in Congress to avoid knee-jerk reactions that haven’t been fully thought through and vetted. Instead, we must all come to the table in a bipartisan way to find solutions for the American people, factoring in perspectives from all sides.
It is evident our nation is in need of solutions. However, I want to make it clear that defunding the police is not the answer. What we should be doing instead is providing more resources for training, greater accountability, and increased community engagement. A recent study cited by the International Association of Chiefs of Police noted that 80 percent of Police Chiefs in the US said there is a greater need for training.
Speaker Pelosi’s recent criminal justice proposal was drafted with little-to-no bipartisan input and contains provisions that could end up harming the very communities we are trying to help. In Washington, we have to work across the aisle to get things done, and for an issue as important as this, we cannot rush the process by shutting out bipartisan input. While there are certain measures that members on both sides can agree on, there are simply too many provisions of Speaker Pelosi’s bill that are counterproductive to delivering timely and necessary reforms to law enforcement for our communities.
Many law enforcement officers around the nation do their jobs and serve our communities well, and I appreciate their dedication and service. However, recent and past events have been clear: we cannot turn a blind eye to the actions of a bad few. That is why I cosponsored the Republican-led Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act. The JUSTICE Act is the House companion bill to legislation introduced by Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and is supported by President Trump and his administration.
The JUSTICE Act proposes real policing reforms to increase transparency, accountability, and performance of our nation’s law enforcement agencies, ensuring officers are better prepared to protect and serve their communities. These reforms build upon President Trump’s recent Executive Order to encourage proactive police strategies that strengthen trust and promote the safety and security of all communities.
Provisions in the JUSTICE Act:
- Improve law enforcement transparency through additional reporting including annual reporting on the use of force and reporting on no-knock warrants.
- Ensure law enforcement agencies and officers are held accountable by developing accessible disciplinary records systems.
- Provide $500 million for state and local law enforcement agencies to equip all officers with body cameras, improve the use of body cameras, and store and retain footage.
- Ban the use of chokeholds except for in situations where deadly force is authorized.
- Improve officer training by directing the Attorney General to develop training curricula related to the duty to intervene and de-escalation and appropriates funds to pay for costs associated with new training requirements.
- Include the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act, making lynching a federal crime.
- Create a bipartisan commission on the social status of black men and boys to issue a report to Congress on conditions affecting black men and boys, including education, health care, financial status and the criminal justice system.
Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that our nation is committed to achieving real and positive change for the future. Commonsense solutions, like the Republican-led JUSTICE Act, are steps in the right direction, but we still have more to do. I am committed to ensuring our nation is prepared for success moving forward, and that means listening to all members of our community. I look forward to working towards a brighter future in our Commonwealth and our nation.
