Earlier this year, I wrote to you about my support for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

That was before the verdict.

The guilty verdict in this case is an important step toward accountability and justice, but a single verdict is not justice. Justice only comes when the systemic racism in our policing culture is wholly eliminated.

How do we change the culture? It starts by changing the rules. That will not magically change things overnight, but it will put in place new expectations for behavior — that will guide hiring, training, promotion, and accountability measures.

That is exactly the heart of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This legislation is a critical step in the right direction. My colleagues and I will continue fighting in Congress to ensure it is passed and then signed into law.

Stay tuned.

Rick

Forwarded Message

For so many of us, we were raised on the basic notion that the police exist to protect and serve, to keep our communities safe.

While it is undoubtedly critical to have strong, accountable police departments across Northwest Washington and America, for far too many people, the police have become a symbol of inequality, fear, and even violence.

That is why I support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Eric Garner. Ahmaud Arbery. Rayshard Brooks. Tamir Rice. Each of these lives and countless others were cut short. These tragedies happened because in the eyes of too many Americans, their lives did not matter.

And that is the problem: there cannot be real justice for these victims or their families without addressing the systemic issues that enable inequity and racism to persist across America.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act begins to take on some of the very real, very dire problems in our national policing model.

I am referring to "legal" chokeholds. Those must go. Investigating misconduct and creating a national registry to track it. Requiring dashboard and body cameras. Restricting the use of military equipment by civilian police agencies. And creating national standards for the operation of police departments.

Of course, this is only the beginning. The law must make it through the U.S. Senate and be signed by President Biden. And then we must demand that individual states and communities take action.

But we must start somewhere. I understand that police conduct reform is not enough to end the injustice. I will continue to support legislation that tackles systemic racism throughout our society.

Stay tuned.

Rick