Democrats from some of the most vulnerable congressional districts in the country are requesting that Speaker Nancy Pelosi bring to the House floor for a vote four legislation that would raise money for local police agencies and mental health initiatives.
28 of the 37 House Democrats who signed the letter, first published by Punchbowl News, are either retiring or running for office in districts targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee for flipping (NRCC). Several signatories, including Virginia Representative Abigail Spanberger and Michigan Representative Elissa Slotkin, have challenged the party’s branding, particularly in relation to topics such as crime.
In the letter, the Democrats said, “We continue to hear from our constituents who are extremely concerned about the rising level of crime in the country, and about the importance of enforcing laws already on the books.
The Invest to Protect Act, the COPS on the Beat Program Reauthorization and Parity Act, the Mental Health Justice Act, and the Pathways to Policing Act would allocate roughly $11 billion to local police agencies. The Democrats stated that the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by New Yorker Jerrold Nadler, “has no intention of bringing any law enforcement bills through the markup process.”
More on this story via The Daily Caller:
Several left-wing members who support defunding police, including Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, New York Rep. Mondaire Jones and Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, sit on the committee. With a 25-19 Democrat-Republican split, those three members could vote to block the legislation unless Republicans vote in favor. Read more…