The U.S. House of Representatives approved a wide-ranging Democratic police reform bill on Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate despite opposition from President Donald Trump and other Republicans in Congress. The Democratic-controlled House voted 236-181 roughly along party lines to adopt the legislation. The reform bill comes one month to the day after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody sparked weeks of worldwide protests over police brutality. Democrats named their legislation “The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.”
The Democratic bill mandates changes in law and policy to rein in police misconduct, but is unlikely to be taken up in the Republican-led Senate, and it also faces a formal White House veto threat. Republicans oppose the Democratic bill because of mandates they say could undermine law enforcement.
Democrats blocked the Republican reform bill on Wednesday; the Democratic and Republican bills address similar topics: chokeholds, no-knock warrants, police body cameras, use of deadly force, and training to de-escalate confrontations with suspects and to encourage officer intervention against illegal conduct as it occurs.
