WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late Wednesday, the House addressed important issues key to anti-corruption and safeguarding our democracy. The first, HR1—or the For the People Act—would overhaul government ethics and campaign finance laws and seek to strengthen voting rights by creating automatic voter registration and expanding access to early and absentee voting. The other, The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants and reforms qualified immunity for law enforcement—making it easier to pursue claims of police misconduct.
Nikitra Bailey, Executive Vice President at CRL, issued the following statement:
Congressman John Lewis often stated that the right to vote is sacred. We agree. We applaud the United States House of Representatives for passing the For the People Act to ensure that all citizens, including those long denied, have fair access to the ballot box. As the nation prepares to commemorate the 56th Anniversary of the Selma Bridge Jubilee, we must fulfill the promise of democracy for all. We urge the United States Senate to work in a bipartisan way to put the best interests of the people first, especially as state legislatures across the country are threatening the fundamental right to vote with continued measures of voter suppression.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is an example of moving in the right direction for racial equity and social justice, Bailey added. “It is only the first step, but this legislation is important and a beginning to transform the way we do policing in America. We support Congress in taking this significant step toward police accountability. Doing so makes it clear that police brutality, harassment, misconduct, and killing have no place in America. We now look to the Senate to guarantee this commitment to end the inhumanity that has upended the lives of countless Black and Brown families in our communities nationwide.
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Press Contact: Vincenza Previte vincenza.previte@responsiblelending.org