WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today voted against the House Democrats' police reform bill. Bost instead cosponsored the JUSTICE Act, patterned after legislation recently introduced by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in the Senate.

“The death of George Floyd has reinforced the importance of improving training and transparency at police departments, while also holding officers who violate their oaths to protect and serve accountable,” said Bost. “Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi decided to play politics by shutting Republicans out from efforts to craft a bipartisan solution and prohibited amendments during floor debate. Now is not the time and this is not the issue for partisan posturing. We must work together to achieve true, meaningful reform that advances justice and protects the safety of the American people.”

The House Democrat police reform bill includes provisions that would remove protections for good police officers, ban chokeholds, even in life and death situations, and increase federal government overreach in state and local matters.

The JUSTICE Act, cosponsored by Bost, tailors a national reporting system to increase accountability and transparency, while ensuring that good officers are not unfairly put at risk. It also ties the awarding of federal funding to a local departments' efforts to end the use of chokeholds.

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