Congressman Cohen Urges Focus on Unjust Police Practices at Markup on Justice in Policing Act
Judiciary Committee vote advances landmark measure to House floor
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today urged his colleagues to focus on police overuse of force against African Americans, and not misleading and distracting narratives, in its consideration of the Justice in Policing Act.
The Committee voted to send the measure to the House floor after a day-long markup.
During debate on the measure, Congressman Cohen made a speech in which he said in part:
"What has happened in Minneapolis has brought the nation's attention to problems that this country has had since 1619, when the first slaves were brought to this country…This is the issue that brought us here today – George Floyd, killed by a police officer with no concern for humanity…
"What I heard last week and what I've heard today from my Republican colleagues is disheartening, disheartening and disheartening, and America should be repulsed by it. This hearing is about police; it's about racism; it's about overuse of force against individuals that cost them their lives. It's not about abortion. It's not about Mueller…It's not about Trump – ‘orange lives matter' – it's not about that. It's not about defunding the police and it's not about Officer Underwood. It's about police overuse of force, often against African Americans, and America not doing what it should have done rightfully by the people they enslaved and treated as second-class citizens for so many years…and not to address that subject and to bring up these subterfuges, these ruses, is a disrespect to every African American and to every right-thinking American.."
See Congressman Cohen entire speech here.
At a later point in the debate, Congressman Cohen argued against an amendment that would have called for an investigation of extraneous forces associated with looting incidents.
"They're talking about anything but the real issues, which is police practices that need to be reformed," Congressman said of the proposed amendment. See the entire statement here.
The Justice in Policing Act (H.R. 7120) incorporates Congressman Cohen's National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act (H.R. 119), Police CAMERA Act (H.R. 120), and Police Training and Independent Review Act (H.R. 125). Congressman Cohen has sponsored these bills for several years.
###