Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) issued the following statement regarding his decision to vote against the Justice in Policing Act of 2020:

“America has felt a change over the last few weeks following the death of George Floyd – and because of it, Congress has prioritized meaningful police reform. The provisions in this legislation, however, do not accomplish sensible reforms and would result in a federal takeover of our law enforcement.

“Every day, the majority of our men and women in blue make decisions to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, the acts of bad apples have spearheaded a movement from the left to completely diminish our police’s ability to continue serving and protecting.

“I’m also concerned that Republicans were shut out of the drafting of this bill. It was written without input across the aisle – and unsurprisingly, this bill is partisan as a result. This legislation has no chance of becoming law. Republicans in the Senate drafted the thoughtful JUSTICE Act, a bipartisan bill to address police reform, promote transparency and improve accountability. While I couldn’t vote for today’s House bill, I’m proud to cosponsor Sen. Tim Scott's JUSTICE Act and hope it moves forward so I can vote to support it.”