House Judiciary Committee lawmakers plan to unveil a bipartisan bill to encourage “police accountability” and protect law enforcement in the wake of viral videos of police shootings of black men and an ambush that killed several Dallas police officers.
“The ongoing racial tensions in our nation must be addressed so that we all respect one another as fellow human beings made in the image of God,” House Judiciary Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in a Friday statement. “All life is precious. Our nation needs to come together and address these tensions so that we can overcome unjustified acts of violence.”
Goodlatte is working chiefly with Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus. They have yet to introduce the legislation, but Republican and Democratic aides described the pending proposal as a result of long-standing conversations about criminal justice reform policies that have taken place in this Congress, rather than a simple reaction to the events of the last week.
A Democratic aide predicted that details of the legislation would be available next week. “While many issues contribute to this problem, the House Judiciary Committee is working on a bipartisan basis on a bill to help protect law enforcement officers’ lives, increase police accountability, and enhance public safety,” Goodlatte said. “We will continue our work on this issue and explore other ways to address this matter of national importance.”
