House Democrats pass police reform deal ahead of midterm elections

The deal ultimately united centrist and progressive lawmakers in the party on a key issue ahead of the midterm elections. The Senate is unlikely to take up the deal before Nov. 8.

The bills resurrected a previous attempt to reach an agreement on a package of pro-policing bills centrists sought to counter the narrative that Democrats widely support “defund the police” efforts embraced by some progressives.

“Today, we will witness with our own eyes who actually wants to fund the police,” Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) said in remarks on the House floor, adding, “Join us in backing the blue.”

One House Democrat told the Washington Examiner there is an understanding among the party that “front-liners needed it,” a reference to vulnerable Democrats in tough races.

The vote was delayed for several hours as Democratic leadership sought to ensure they could pass the legislation with their slim majority.

Centrist Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) negotiated with progressive Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) but previously failed to reach a consensus. The negotiations were revived in recent days with participation from lawmakers of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The package is made up of four bills that would fund local community groups that work to reduce crime, grants to smaller police departments for recruitment, and programs for mental health services. The deal includes a bill by Demings that would issue grants to police departments for solving crimes involving gun violence.

Each of the bills passed with some bipartisan support, with Gottheimer’s Invest to Protect Act passing by the highest margin in a 360-64 vote.

The bill to fund community groups passed in a 220-207 vote, and the mental health services bill passed 223-206. Demings’s VICTIM Act passed in a 250-178 vote.

Demings, a former chief of the Orlando Police Department, has condemned “defund the police” rhetoric and policies in her Senate campaign against incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).

House Republicans criticized the legislation, with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) saying during debate that “one of the phrases we’ve heard from the Democrats over the last couple of years is ‘reimagine policing.’ Now, we know what they mean.”

Jordan argued the legislation would take funds from communities “who funded their police and give it to communities who didn’t.”

In a tweet, Gottheimer highlighted the package’s support from national police groups.

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“This bill will make real progress to invest in local law enforcement,” he wrote.