Washington, D.C. — Today, Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Justice in Policing Act. Following the introduction of the bill, Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Over the past two weeks, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life, in every corner of this country, have come together to stand up for Black lives and demand an end to police brutality. It is now incumbent on lawmakers at all levels of government to use this moment to enact long-term structural change in policing.
The Justice in Policing Act is a critical step forward toward reform at the federal and local levels. The bill includes many important provisions, including grants to states to bring “pattern or practice” cases, conditioning federal dollars on changes to policing techniques such as ending the use of chokeholds, and prohibiting law enforcement from recklessly depriving Americans of their constitutional rights.
CAP applauds this effort and will be working with both the House and the Senate to advance the bill while continuing to work with state and local officials across the country, where most law enforcement actions occur, to ensure accountability and increase public safety. We call on all members of Congress to heed the will of the people and join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus to support these reforms, transform law enforcement, and shrink the footprint of the police in our communities.
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For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Julia Cusick at [email protected].