Pingree to Vote Again for Landmark George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Press Release

Ahead of tonight's vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced her intent to vote for the historic bill a second time. The landmark legislation will create mandatory accountability standards for police and address systemic racism in law enforcement and police misconduct.

The legislation originally passed the U.S. House last year in the wake of high-profile police killings of Black Americans -- including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery -- whose murders sparked months-long nationwide protests. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act seeks to curb police brutality by banning chokeholds, stopping no-knock warrants, and ending the court-created qualified immunity doctrine for law enforcement. Pingree is an original cosponsor of the legislation and was during the 116th Congress as well.

"The vast majority of police do their jobs honorably and put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. But we cannot overlook egregious cases of police misconduct and our country's long history of racial profiling and mistreatment of Black Americans by law enforcement. After our nation witnessed the murder of George Floyd, there was prolonged outcry for police accountability and real reforms to curb police brutality. While there's no single bill that will erase generations of racial profiling or excessive force toward Black Americans, the Justice in Policing Act is critical step to rein in future abuses," said Pingree. "This legislation will finally stop the barbaric use of chokeholds and end no-knock warrants, ensuring our nation has uniform standards for policing and the tools to hold bad actors accountable."

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is the first-ever comprehensive congressional approach to hold police accountable, end racial profiling, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias. The Justice in Policing Act would: 1) establish a national standard for the operation of police departments; 2) mandate data collection on police encounters; 3) reprogram existing funds to invest in more just and equitable public safety approaches; and 4) streamline federal law to more easily prosecute excessive force and establish independent prosecutors for investigations into problematic police departments.

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