On Thursday (June 25), the U.S. House of Representatives passed a police reform bill named after George Floyd, the unarmed Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police officers last month. Deemed the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” the bill was supported by all 233 House Democrats, as well as three Republican representatives.
“Today with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the House is honoring his life and the lives of all those killed by police brutality and pledging: Never again,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a press conference on Thursday (June 25). “When we pass this bill, the Senate will have a choice: to honor George Floyd’s life or to do nothing.”
The bill would place federal bans on No Knock Search Warrants in drug raids and police chokeholds, establish a national registry of police misconduct through the Department of Justice and prohibit racial profiling.
It would also hold officers personally liable for damages in misconduct lawsuits and halt military surplus equipment from flowing to police departments. The bill would not defund police departments and recollacte funds to community programs, as called for by many Black Lives Matter activists.
However, the bill is expected to be stalled by the Senate, as House Democrats approved the bill just a day after blocking a competing Republican-backed bill in the Senate. According to CNN, Democrats have criticized the Republican bill as being an inadequate response to the nationwide call for police reform, while the GOP argues that the House bill obstructs an open legislative process.
“We are supposed to be the beacon of hope for human rights in other countries and the Justice in Policing Act is a bill for human rights in our country.” Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Karen Bass said of the bill on Thursday (June 25).