June 16, 2020

Duckworth Statement on Trump’s Executive Order on Police Reform

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after President Trump announced a police reform Executive Order:

“Trump’s Executive Order falls far short of what we actually need right now, which is systemic change and accountability throughout our law enforcement agencies. In his desperate attempt to seem tuned in to the needs of Americans—the majority of which support the peaceful protests for racial equality and justice—he put forward a proposal that would do the bare minimum to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions, refusing to even ban chokeholds outright.”

“It’s no surprise that Trump—a man who has fanned the flames of racism throughout his life and presidency—would think this inadequate, small step is enough to bring about the systemic change Black Americans and the majority of Americans are calling out for. If nothing else, this order simply heightens the need for Congress to pass comprehensive police reform and, with my like-minded colleagues, that’s what I’ll keep pushing for.”

The Democratic proposal for police reform, the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, included provisions of Duckworth’s legislation, the Police Training and Independent Review Act, to strengthen accountability and transparency over law enforcement use of lethal force by rewarding states that enact laws requiring independent reviews, criminal investigations and when necessary, prosecutions of police officers who commit violent crimes.