[June 8, 2020 – Longport, New Jersey] The House Democratic Leadership and the Congressional Black Caucus unveiled today broad legislation that would dramatically overhaul the country’s police training and techniques.  The “Justice in Policing Act,” would ban chokeholds, including the kind used by a police officer in the Minneapolis death of George Floyd last month, as well as no-knock warrants in drug cases, as was used in the incident leading to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.  The legislation would also require local police departments to send data on the use of force to the federal government and create a grant program that would allow state attorneys general to create an independent process to investigate misconduct or excessive use of force. Further, the bill would make it easier for people to recover damages when police departments violate their civil rights.

The following is a statement Democratic Candidate for New Jersey’s 2^nd Congressional District:

“I am so proud that today Democrats stood up and provided a clear vision for our country’s future – and specifically I want to thank New Jersey’s Senator Cory Booker and Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman and Donald Payne, Jr, who have long provided our country with specifics in addressing the issue of policing and have been champions in building needed dialog to create change.

“This bill is an important first step for our country during this historic moment – and the legislation clearly addresses key items that so many black and brown men and women in the second district have been advocating and fighting for.

“But we cannot forget that it is equally important that the work does not stop with the introduction of this important bill.  First, we need to pass it into law, and to do that we must beat Jeff Van Drew in the Fall.  Pledging undying loyalty to a President that literally embraces white supremacists is not the solution, it’s the problem. I am proud to be fighting side-by-side with one of the key authors of this legislation, Senator Booker, and when elected to Congress I will continue to share this fight with him and do all I can to support just and needed change.

“Second, we must acknowledge, we need to provide even more specifics to confront inequity and racism.  George Floyd’s murder has spurred a national conversation. Here in the district, I have spent time listening to the leadership of the NAACP, local Black Lives Matter activists, civil rights attorneys and policy experts and I know that while laws cannot change a racist’s mindset, they can make acting upon racists thoughts illegal.  One area this bill does not address is ensuring that police officers with a history of racism and unnecessary violence are taken off the streets immediately.  As a member of Congress I will not simply lend my name as a cosponsor to legislation, I pledge to continue listening and collaborating with our local civil rights leaders and activists to craft bills that confront racism head on, providing specifics and bold ideas that represent South Jersey.

“The last two weeks have provided our country with a national moment to not only deeply mourn African Americans murdered in a manner that no human should die, but an opportunity to finally come together as a country to develop more ideas that build needed solutions.  Creating bold ideas must be our ultimate goal and that begins today.”