Congressman David Trone Votes for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
Congressman David Trone Votes for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman David Trone (MD-06) voted in favor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, legislation that makes bold reforms to curb police brutality and end racial profiling. The Justice in Policing Act passed the House of Representatives and now awaits a vote in the Senate.
“Over the past month our nation has finally awakened to the fact that interactions with police officers can be deadly for Black and Brown people. The racism that is pervasive in our institutions and police departments is impossible to ignore. Addressing these systems is long overdue. It is shameful that we only gained meaningful reform at the cost of George Floyd’s life and countless others. We see this devastating pattern repeat itself far too often in far too many communities throughout our country.
“The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that passed in the House today is a first step in the transformational change we need. The bill bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, ends qualified immunity for police officers, and establishes a database so we can hold those accountable that are supposed to be protecting our communities, not putting them in danger.
“We must also recognize the police are being asked to do too much, to deal with issues that other trained professionals could better handle. We need to increase funding to community behavioral health centers, addiction services, and specialists in domestic violence who are professionally trained to assist those in our community that are the most vulnerable. We need to address the disparities in our health care, education, criminal justice, and housing systems that make it harder for Black communities and Black children to succeed.
“You can draw a straight line from slavery, to Jim Crow, to mass incarceration and police brutality. We aren’t going to change these structural and systemic problems overnight, but the Justice in Policing Act is the first step in the long fight to ensure equality for all people in our country and affirm that Black lives matter.”
Specifically, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act:
- Bans chokeholds;
- Stops no-knock warrants;
- Ends the qualified immunity doctrine that is a barrier to holding police officers accountable for wrongful conduct;
- Combats racial profiling;
- Mandates data collection, including body cameras and dashboard cameras; and
- Establishes new standards for policing.
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees, where he is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
###
