By U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego —
As you have likely seen, the past weeks have been a time of protest and mourning over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black Americans due to police brutality. I want to share with you the steps that I am taking to fight for greater racial and social justice and equity in law enforcement in our country.
I believe that fundamental, transformational change in the operations of law enforcement is the only way to heal the festering wounds that structural racism, systemic inequalities, and injustice have caused in our country. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 125, the Police Training and Independent Review Act, which requires police officers to undergo diversity and sensitivity training and requires an independent prosecutor for all investigations into the use of deadly force by officers. I am also a cosponsor of H.Res. 988, which condemns all acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive militarized force. I support requiring and increasing funding for de-escalation, crisis intervention, and implicit bias training for police officers, and the review of inappropriate practices by police departments by the Department of Justice.
As a combat veteran, I do not believe there is a reason that local police forces should be equipped with military-grade weapons, vehicles, and ammunition. Our neighborhoods are not war zones. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1714, the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act, which prohibits the transfer of military weapons that are unnecessary and inappropriate for local policing, and limits incentives for the inappropriate use of that equipment. I plan to introduce a provision to the same end in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
Most importantly, I am committed to standing with and listening to the Black community so that I can appropriately represent their needs in legislation. It should never have taken the murder of George Floyd or any other person to bring us to this point. I will continue to work so that everyone is treated and protected equally under the law, and I welcome feedback from all my constituents throughout that process.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any thoughts, questions, or concerns that you have regarding police brutality and racial justice or about any other issue. As always, my job is to represent you and ensure that the rights of all people are protected. You can contact my office by calling (202) 225-4065 or through my website.
Very truly yours,
Congressman Ruben Gallego
Ruben Gallego is a Democratic Congressman representing Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.