On Thursday, the White House confirmed that President Biden would veto a GOP-led effort that would block the police accountability law in Washington, D.C., from going into effect. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a recent briefing told reporters that Biden would veto the resolution of disapproval even if it did pass through Congress. The measure specifically targets the Comprehensive Justice and Policing Reform Act which is scheduled to go into effect in May.
In her statement, Jean-Pierre noted that the President believes that funding the police and providing them with the necessary resources would help make the law enforcement agents more “effective, (and) accountable.” She added that the President was not going to support everything that the Republicans put forth, including the GOP’s “efforts to overturn common sense police reforms.” Finally, she noted that Congress needed to “respect D.C.’s right to pass measures” which can help improve both public safety and trust.
The bill in question would make a number of reforms, including banning chokeholds and limiting the police officer’s use of deadly force; it would also require that body-camera footage be released and law enforcement agents would need to complete training on de-escalation.
The legislation passed through D.C. officials easily, however, the GOP has stated that the provisions in this law will limit officers’ abilities to complete their tasks. This in part is also fueled by the fact that the bill would also eliminate most mandatory sentences, while also lowering the penalties for different types of violent offenses.
