Jun 18, 2020 - Politics & Policy

House Democrats' police reform bill advances

Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond from Louisiana during a markup on the "Justice in Policing Act of 2020" on Wednesday in the House. Photo: Erin Scott-Pool via Getty Images

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee advanced on Wednesday night legislation on reforming policing practices in response to protests sparked by the death in police custody of George Floyd.

The big picture: Per Axios' Alayna Treene, the bill which passed 24-14 along party lines, would be the biggest overhaul of federal policing laws in decades. But it's unlikely to pass as it stands in the Senate, where Republicans have drafted their own bill. Before the vote, there was a tense exchange between Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Cedric Richmond (D-La.) after the Democrat expressed frustration at Republicans' proposed amendments.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Rashaan Ayesh
Jun 23, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Senate Democrats call GOP police reform bill "not salvageable"

Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday stating that Senate Republicans' police reform bill is "not salvageable."

Why it matters: The bill comes amid a national reckoning over police brutality and systemic racism spurred by the killing of George Floyd, but Capitol Hill's gridlock over the best path forward might torpedo any real legislative action on the issue at the moment.

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Reproduced from Pew Research Center; Chart: Axios Visuals

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Why it matters: Overall, the poll finds both persistently deep partisan divides on climate and energy, but also some areas of agreement on policy.

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