Politics

Democrats Set To Unveil Sweeping Police Reform Legislation, Aim To Vote On It Before July 4th Recess

Democratic California House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

(MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Alec Schemmel Contributor
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Democratic lawmakers will introduce a wide-ranging police reform bill on the heels of nationwide protests and riots over the death of George Floyd while in police custody. They hope the bill will get to the Senate floor prior to the upcoming Fourth of July recess.

“We’ll be releasing a bill tomorrow for things that should’ve been done in this country a long time ago — banning certain police practices, creating deeper accountability,” Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.

The legislation, while focusing on criminal justice reform, will also aim to eradicate racial inequalities in policy ranging from health care, education and environmental justice, according to The Hill.

The legislative movement is being led by members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have spent time gathering policy recommendations from their Democratic colleagues. (RELATED: Police Unions Abandon Biden After He Promotes Cop Reform)

“We want to see this as a time where we can go forward in a very drastic way — not incrementally, but in an important way to redress those problems,” said Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to The Hill. “We’re talking a long way back and a lot of injustice in it all.”

Democrats want to pass the expansive legislation in a matter of weeks, The Hill reported. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer is pressing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to schedule a vote on the bill before the upcoming two-week Fourth of July recess.