Congressman Al Green Supports H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021

Press Release

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, Congressman Al Green released the following statement in support of H.R. 1280:

"On May 25, 2020, George Floyd took his final breaths after a former Minneapolis police officer mercilessly kneeled on Mr. Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The footage from this tragic incident became inescapable, and the relentless pursuit of justice for George Floyd began," said Congressman Al Green, who was honored to speak at Mr. Floyd's final memorial service which took place in Green's congressional district. "I am proud to support and serve as an original cosponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021; in pursuit of a semblance of justice for those lives that have been impacted by or taken at the hands of police brutality."

"The Justice in Policing Act demands accountability, transparency, and improved police training and practices. However, there is much more work to be done to uproot the systemically racist conditions that have allowed societal problems such as police brutality to thrive for far too long. For this reason, I began calling for a Cabinet-level Department of Reconciliation in the wake of Mr. Floyd's untimely death last year. Such a department would help us eliminate systemic racism and invidious discrimination from all aspects of American life, including policing and criminal justice."

Congressman Green, a longtime civil rights advocate, added, "Until we reconcile, we will continue to see George Floyds and Breonna Taylors and Tamir Rices. We will continue to create hashtags calling for justice after unjust situations occur. No more! We must reconcile, and until then, we must enact the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021."

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