Rashida Tlaib: “As someone who grew up in a community on the front line of the racist so-called war on drugs, I am proud to stand here…”

“As someone who grew up in a community on the front line of the racist so-called war on drugs, I am proud to stand here today in support of the EQUAL Act to eliminate racial disparities in crack and powder cocaine possession. The war on drugs was designed as a racist project to target Black and Brown Americans--my neighbors--and the obvious racial disparities in enforcement show us that it still is at its core a racist effort targeting communities of color through over-policing, criminalization, and mass incarceration. Simply put, addiction is a health condition not a crime. Giving incarcerated people an opportunity to be resentenced will transform lives immediately. We need to be doing more to make reparations to those impacted by the so-called war on drugs. While this bill is a great step on the road to comprehensive drug and criminal justice reform, we must go further. Our goal must be to end this country's militarized ``jail first, ask questions later'' approach to addiction and stop trying to solve social problems with policing. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.”