Stauber Outlines Why JUSTICE Act is Better Solution to Police Reform than Democrats’ Partisan Policing Bill

March 4, 2021
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, prior to voting against the Democrats' partisan policing bill (H.R. 1280), Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) gave a speech on the House Floor detailing why his JUSTICE Act is a better alternative to police reform and how the Democrats' bill would only make communities less safe. The Democrats did not receive any support from the law enforcement community on their partisan legislation.

Unlike the Democrats, Congressman Stauber sought input from the law enforcement community when writing the JUSTICE Act. As a former law enforcement officer himself, Congressman Stauber is uniquely qualified to lead on the issue of police reform.

During his remarks, Congressman Stauber said (in part), "With something as important as police reform, it is important to garner many perspectives. The JUSTICE Act, legislation Senator Scott and I introduced, is a product of my perspective as a law enforcement officer from Minnesota and Senator Scott's perspective as a black man from South Carolina.

Stauber followed, stating, "Now; when we voted on Democrats' legislation last year, it was dead upon passage. But some of my good friends and I in the Problem Solvers Caucus decided that this conversation was too important to let go. So, we worked for months with representatives from both sides of the aisle, with representatives from the Congressional Black Caucus, with representatives with law enforcement and legal backgrounds, on areas where we could find compromise between their bill and my bill, the JUSTICE Act. Unfortunately, the other side walked away.

Stauber concluded, stating, "We all want police reform. We all want change. But until such time that we work together, this legislation is just another messaging bill for the Democrats."

Click HERE to watch Stauber's full remarks on the House Floor.

A majority of the JUSTICE Act's provisions have earned bipartisan support in the past. This bill would rebuild performance, accountability, and transparency within police departments nationwide in some of the following ways:

  • Increase the number of body cameras.
  • Emphasize community reflective recruitment, ensuring the makeup of police departments more closely resemble the communities they serve.
  • Restore investment in community policing, helping to build trust between officers and the communities they serve.
  • Invest in improved police training, with an emphasis on de-escalation and duty to intervene.

Congressman Stauber first introduced the JUSTICE Act during the 116th Congress. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) led companion legislation in the Senate.

Last Congress, Democrats' blocked Congressman Stauber's JUSTICE Act three times, instead voting to pass their own partisan policing bill. The bill that the Democrats' passed last night contained the same problematic provisions as the bill they passed last Congress:

  • Eliminates qualified immunity as a defense to police officers, hindering officers' ability to make crucial, life or death decisions to stop a lethal threat.
  • Bans "no-knock" warrants in drug cases, even when the occupants are known to be armed and dangerous, or where the evidence sought could be destroyed.
  • Bans military equipment from law enforcement agencies. Military equipment is vital in life-saving situations. A blanket ban puts citizens and law enforcement officers in danger.
  • Creates a federal database of all law enforcement officers without providing protections for officers wrongly accused or misidentified.

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