Hi John,
Our nation is at a turning point, one that’s been building for years.
People have been powering this movement in every corner of the country. I learned last week that nearly every county in Pennsylvania had a protest for justice -- a call to action for those in positions to make change possible and a message to the people powering this movement: keep fighting for change.
I have proudly joined these protests and have been incredibly impressed by the work grassroots organizers have done to engage our community.
Black lives matter - and dismantling systemic racism will take all of us.
I wanted to give you an update on some of the legislative steps we’re taking in the House to dismantle the systems that have oppressed Black Americans and to hold our government agencies accountable:
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I am proud to have stood with Rep. Bass, Rep. Nadler, and Senators Booker and Harris as we passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, the first-ever comprehensive approach to ensure our police are held accountable and to push for a change of culture within our police forces.
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With Rep. Armstrong, Rep. Jeffries, Rep. Katko, and Rep. Reschenthaler, I introduced the Justice for Juveniles Act, a bill to protect young people in prisons from abuse by exempting them from the Prison Litigation Reform Act.
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In the House Judiciary, we authored a letter to the Department of Justice to demand a full investigation into the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. We demand justice and answers for their murders.
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We held a hearing on police brutality in the House Judiciary and how we must provide oversight and examine the crisis of racial profiling and the valid distrust communities feel for their police departments.
In the coming weeks and months, our work will continue, and I will not back down from this critical fight.
More soon,
Mary Gay
