June 08, 2020

Castro Statement on Justice in Policing Act of 2020

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today released the following statement as House Democrats and Senate Democrats introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020: 

“This moment in history requires nothing short of a transformative response to systemic racism and police brutality. From banning chokeholds, no-knock warrants and racial profiling, to limiting qualified immunity and establishing a national use of force standard, I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill to achieve bold police reform. 

“This legislation incorporates the PRIDE Act, which I introduced in 2015 with Senator Booker as part of my ongoing and persistent efforts to combat police brutality. The PRIDE Act requires all states to report to the Justice Department any incident where force is used against civilians by law enforcement officers. I’ve also long pushed for law enforcement to wear body cameras—100 percent of San Antonio police officers are equipped with them—and this bill requires all federal uniformed officers, including border patrol and ICE agents, to wear body-worn cameras. Transparency is the first step toward accountability. 

“There is no single policy reform that can erase the historical evils of police brutality, white supremacy, and the oppression of black and brown folks, but we must push for significant structural changes that prevent future abuse and begin the process of healing our nation. I urge my colleagues to come together to immediately pass the Justice in Policing Act.”

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