Washington, DC - Our members are disappointed that the U.S. House of Representatives has decided to send H.R. 1280, the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” directly to the floor—without Committee consideration or any real debate on meaningful amendments. This is the same bill that was unable to gain any traction in the previous Congress because there was a lack of genuine dialogue and engagement.

This bill contains provisions that we believe, after good faith discussions, could have a positive impact on law enforcement and policing in our country. There are other provisions, like ending the doctrine of qualified immunity, which we strongly oppose. Without debate or discussion, these issues cannot be resolved.

We share the sentiments of Congress and the public we are sworn to protect with respect to policing reform. All of us have a stake in safe communities. When our citizens do not feel safe in the presence of police, that’s a problem—and the FOP intends to be part of the solution.

We look forward to engaging with the Administration, Members of the House and Senate, and stakeholder groups in the days ahead to find consensus on issues of vital national concern and produce a bill that can pass not just the House, but also the Senate with broad and bipartisan support.

The FOP is focused on having fact-based discussions about how to improve policing in our country and we hope that we are afforded that opportunity later in the legislative process.