The House on Wednesday night gave the green light to the George Floyd Policing Justice Act in a 220-212 vote.
The vote was initially scheduled to take place on Thursday, but was brought forward due to a potential threat to the Capitol related to the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Rep. Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarOmar presents a bill to sanction the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for the assassination of Khashoggi. Progressives pressure the White House to overturn the wage decision Mehdi Hasan receives prime time program from MSNBC on Sunday MORE (D), who represents the district of Minnesota where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police last May, served as a pro tempore spokesperson during the legislation debate.
The broad-based police reform project has not received Republican votes. Initially, Rep. Lance Gooden
Republicans from Lance GoodenHouse ask for information about threats to keep the National Guard in DC READ: Republicans who voted to contest the election results Here are the Republicans who plan to challenge the results of the Electoral College MORE (R-Texas) voted in favor of the project, but he tweeted later that he pressed the wrong button. Two Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Ron Kind
Ronald (Ron) James KindSix ways to visualize a divided campaign among Republicans in the United States House launches target list for intermediate polls Five center Democrats oppose Pelosi for president in a tight vote MORE (Sb), voted against the measure.
The bill faces a difficult road in the Senate, where Republican Party lawmakers are already criticizing it as openly partisan.
Still, Rep. Joyce Beatty
Joyce Birdson BeattyBlack Caucus members pressure Biden to hire Shalanda Young as head of OMB Harris holds first meeting in ceremonial office with CBC members On The Money: Senate panels postpone Tanden meetings in negative light | Biden signs supply chain order after ‘positive’ meeting with lawmakers MORE (D-Ohio), president of Congressional Black Caucus, said she and other group leaders had “great conversations” with the senator. Tim Scott
Timothy (Tim) Eugene ScottTrump endorses Tim Scott for re-election This week: Senate resumes relief from coronavirus after minimum wage setback Lobbying world MORE (RS.C.) about finding a middle ground in the hope of pushing the bill to the 50-50 Senate and to President biden
Joe BidenIntercept chief of staff: minimum wage was not “high priority” for Biden in relief from COVID-19 South Carolina Senate adds firing squad as an alternative method of execution Seth Harris, Obama’s former president, to serve as Biden’s labor consultant: MORE reporttable. Scott, the only black Republican senator, has his own proposal for police reform and is open to elements of the Democratic version.
“[It’s] different from the last time, where we are in the country, “said Beatty, referring to the changing cultural attitudes around law enforcement.” I think it gave people more of a feeling: it can be the right thing to do at the right time. “
Beatty declined to say whether House Democrats are prepared to accept a simplified version of the bill, but he also rules out nothing.
“I am not at the point yet to take [anything] “, she said.” We like the bill as it is. “
Senate Republicans have refused, in particular, to the provision that eliminated certain legal protections currently afforded to law enforcement officials in many states and districts. Known as qualified immunity, these protections are necessary, argue Republicans, to protect law enforcement officials from rampant litigation.
Rep. Karen Bass
Karen Ruth BassSunday shows the preview: 2024 candidates meet at CPAC; House relieves coronavirus relief; vaccine effort continues Black Caucus members press Biden for Shalanda Young to replace OMB chief George Floyd, police reform project reintroduced to the House MORE (D-Calif.), The bill’s original sponsor, said it plans to counter these criticisms by examining locations where similar reforms have already been enacted.
“States have adopted all kinds of reforms,” said Bass. “And the sky didn’t fall.”
To be sure, the proposal has a better chance of garnering bipartisan support than another major piece of the House’s Democratic agenda, HR 1, a far-reaching package that reforms the campaign’s financial system and restores certain voting rights.
As it is currently written, the police reform project would review national policing standards at various levels.
The racial profile at all levels of law enforcement would be prohibited; strangulations, carotid blocks and detonation warrants would be banned at the federal level; qualified immunity for police officers would be reviewed and a national police improbity record would be created so that officers dismissed for such discrimination could not be hired by another police department.
Although the bill does not technically order a ban on certain reforms, such as bottlenecks at the state and local level, it would be bound by the new federal standards as limits for police departments to comply with if they wanted to continue receiving federal aid.
The legislation was first introduced to the House last summer after George Floyd, a black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
The death of Floyd, as well as the death of Breonna Taylor by the police, sparked a summer dominated by national protests from the Black Lives Matter calling for substantive police reform and the eradication of systemic racism.
In addition to the Bass project in the Chamber, Scott and Sen. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulSenate confirms Rouse as Biden’s chief economist on the Overnight Health Care program: 50 million coronavirus vaccines administered | Pfizer News | Rand Paul, Biden’s health nominee, criticized for questioning the transgender nominee. MOST (R-Ky.) He presented his own proposals for police reform in the Senate, emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the issue.
Scott’s bill, the JUSTICE Act, covers many of the same areas of concern addressed by the Democrats’ bill, such as the ban on strangulation. Paul’s Breonna Taylor Justice Act was aimed at banning pre-trial arrest warrants – the technique that led to Taylor’s death – something that the George Floyd Police Justice Act would prohibit.
Still, the road to negotiating a bill that would pass through the equally divided Senate can be arduous.
Scott, in a statement on Tuesday, signaled that he was open to discussing the proposal to reduce qualified immunity for officers, a political point of contention, but called the House’s version of the bill “partisan”.
“I hope my friends across the hall will arrive at the table to find common ground where we can make significant changes that will bring us closer to the goal of a fairer country,” said Scott.
Mike Lillis contributed.
Updated at 22h08