Political Quotes

“I rise to introduce the PEACE Act. This legislation recognizes the need to reform the standard for use of force with Federal officers. In order to strengthen our criminal justice system and reduce the risks posed to both law enforcement officers and the public, we must reconsider when lethal force is necessary. This legislation would end the use of deadly force by Federal law enforcement unless there are no other reasonable alternatives. This legislation would also condition certain DOJ funding for States on whether they enact legislation that establishes the same higher standard of conduct for local law enforcement. The current accountability structure for lethal force on the Federal level fails to accurately ensure accountability when members of the public are killed. A lack of accountability when members of the public are killed is a breeding ground for illicit behavior. In recent years, it has been continuously shown that Black people are more likely to experience incidents involving excessive force when interacting with police. Americans deserve better. We deserve a system that will encourage deescalation tactics and hold bad actors accountable. This is too urgent a need to go unaddressed. Public safety is a two-way street. We trust law enforcement to maintain order. In return, we expect officers to be held to account for bad behavior.…”