House Passes Democratic Police Reform Bill as Impasse Deepens

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a sweeping Democratic police reform bill on Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate despite opposition from President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in 🏛️Congress.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 236-181 roughly along party lines to adopt the legislation, one month to the day after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody sparked weeks of worldwide protests over police brutality, especially against African-Americans.

An initial tally showed three Republicans breaking ranks to join Democrats in voting for the bill.

But the bill, which mandates changes in law and policy to rein in police misconduct, is unlikely to be taken up in the Republican-led Senate, where Democrats blocked a Republican reform bill on Wednesday. It also faces a formal White House veto threat.

Democrats and Republicans are deadlocked over how to address racial inequities in policing, despite strong public sentiment for effective reform after Floyd died in Minneapolis as a white policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

“People say, ‘Well, why can’t you compromise with the other side?’ Well, they don’t ban chokeholds. We ban chokeholds. So are we supposed to come up with a number of chokeholds we are going to agree with? No,” House Speaker 👤Nancy Pelosi said ahead of the vote.

Aiming to seize the mantle of public opinion surrounding Floyd, Democrats named their legislation “The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” and predict that public pressure will erode Republican resistance.

“I don’t think the street will accept no action,” Pelosi told the Washington Post.