Rep. Payne, Jr. Votes to End Police Brutality
Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. The historic bill (H.R. 1280) would end racial profiling in law enforcement, ban chokeholds and "no-knock" warrants, and establish a federal standard for police conduct to end police brutality, particularly against African Americans. It comes after thousands of Americans took to the streets last year to protest the brutal murder of George Floyd and other African Americans from police violence in the last two years alone.
"Hopefully, this bill will close an ugly chapter in American history," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "For too long, many Americans were considered dangerous and violent simply because of the color of their skin. Chokeholds are the 21st century's version of legalized lynching. This bill will eliminate them and end "no-knock" warrants, which have allowed police officers to violate the sanctity and privacy of African-American homes. And it will create a nationwide standard for police conduct to stop police brutality against African Americans and other minorities. This is a day we have been awaiting in the Black community for a long time. I am proud to vote for this bill and honored to be part of the Congressional Black Caucus that made it happen. All lives will matter when Black lives matter."
In addition to the national standard for police conduct, the bill would mandate several other changes to police conduct. It would force police departments to collect data on police encounters; limit the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement; ensure the use of body cameras for federal, state and local law enforcement officials; use law enforcement funding to invest in community-based policing programs; streamline federal law to prosecute excessive force; and establish independent prosecutors for police investigations.
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