WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) co-sponsored the Justice in Policing Act of 2020.

“There are moments when we are called upon to be leaders, to stand up for what is right for our community, for our Commonwealth, and for our country,” said Houlahan. “This is one of those moments.

“It is an undeniable fact that systemic racism exists in our country and that it has since our very founding.

“What we have borne witness to over these past few weeks is a unified call to action – to address police brutality and the disparate treatment of people of color, particularly Black Americans.

“In my heart, I know that cosponsoring the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 is the right thing to do to begin to answer this call.

“Over the next few weeks, I will continue speaking with and learning from members of my community – Black leaders, law enforcement leaders, advocates, activists and experts – to hear your concerns and make sure we are addressing them in Congress.

“This bill cannot and will not be the end of our efforts to address this issue. I believe it’s crucial we look at legislation to address mental health support for our police officers, who are often asked to respond not only to public safety incidents but also to a wide range of social service issues, including mental health crises, substance abuse, homelessness and much more, for which they are neither trained nor equipped. Likewise, we need to be working on inequity in our school system, health care system, voting system, and more.

“This legislation marks an important and historic step towards addressing racism in our criminal justice system. We are all called in this moment to do the right thing, and I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will answer that call.”

Full text of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 can be found here.