It was a bright Monday morning when congressional Democrats got into formation, donning kente cloth and taking a knee during a moment of silence in Washington, D.C., before unveiling the new Justice in Policing Act bill. On the heels of George Floyd’s death, the bill would ban chokeholds as well as no-knock warrants, which led to the killing of Breonna Taylor.
Representative Karen Bass (D-CA), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is leading the effort, called it “transformative.”
“The world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in this country,” Bass said.
The bill, which is being supported by 200 Democrats, would require local police departments to be held accountable when it comes to their use of force data and making it available to the federal government. Also, the bill requires an independent process, led by state attorney generals, to investigate misconduct, according to the Washington Post.
The introduction of the bill comes on the heels of protests throughout the country and requests for the defunding of police departments.
“The martyrdom of George Floyd gave the American experience a moment of national anguish as we grieve for the Black Americans killed by police brutality today,” Pelosi said. “This moment of national anguish is being transformed into a movement of national action as Americans from across the country peacefully protest to demand an end to injustice.”