President announcing an executive order, steps, and incentives. Without objection the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. Two, thee 11 clause adopting of an amendment for which the yeas and nays are recorded. We havent you militarize and distribution list dedicated to circulating amendments. Exhibit motions and other written materials members may want to offer as part of the hearing. If you would like to submit material submi them to the email address submitted to your offices and we will circulate them as quickly as we can. I would ask members in person and remotely to mute your microphones when you are not speaking. This will prevent feedback and technical issues. You may unmute yourself when you seek recognition. Before we begin, i want to note the passing of the beloved wife of our colleague jim sensenbrenner. She was a tireless advocate for people with disabilities. She was a loving companion for 43 years. I know i speak for everyone on the committee in offering our deepest condolences to jim and his family. May her memory be a blessing. I would now recognize the Ranking Member for any comments he may have. Those kindiate words. Jim sensenbrenner is a wonderful human being. Well, butnow cheryl she is the same and 43 years together a special. And hisught to keep jim family and our thoughts and prayers. I yield back. Thank you. Before i make my Opening Statement i want to briefly address new guidance from the sergeant of arms that the office of the attending physician released yesterday concerning of prevention of the spread covid19. For the u. S. House of representatives and meetings in limited close spaces for greater than 15 minutes, face coverings are required. This new advice is based on the best available Scientific Evidence we have about how the spreads. Us it is based on the best practices issued by the Trump Administration centers for disease control, supported by the worlds top Infectious Disease experts, such as dr. Fauci and dr. Birx. The attending physicians new whichce says meetings in individuals assemble for various reasons of the country appropriatebers and social distancing is difficult to maintain are at the highest risk for transmission of the disease. One critical means to reduce this risk is to wear a mask. Wearing a mask helps prevent you from getting sick from the deadly virus and helps prevent other people in the room from getting sick. After this we will go home to our loved ones. Wearing a mask helps prevent them from serious illness as well. Decorum in our proceedings includes making sure we conduct our business in a safe manner. In light of the new guidance i fully expect all members on both sides of the aisle to wear a mask at all times if youre not speaking. If youre not willing to wear a mask house rules allow you to participate remotely from your Office Without being physically present in the room. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 7120, the up hr justice and policing act of 2020 for purposes of markup and move the Committee Report the bill favorably to the house. 7120 holds Law Enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improves transparency through Data Collection, and Reforms Police training and policies. Without objection the bill is considered red and open for amendment at any point. I recognize myself for an Opening Statement. Last week George Floyds brother sat in this room and told us of the pain he felt watching the video of his brother being killed in Minneapolis Police officer. He gave voice to the pain all of us have felt over the last few weeks. He also spoke to the anger of knowing george floyd was only the latest in a too long list of victims of Police Brutality, disproportionately people of color. He spoke that dramatic reform is needed. Congress has done very little. Mr. Floyd charged us with making sure his brothers death would not be in vain and pleaded with us to turn the pain and anger we feel into meaningful change. His words echo the voices of millions of americans who have taken to the streets in the last few weeks to seek justice and demand action. Today we answer that call. We value and respect the brave and Honorable Police officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect us and our communities. Those of us here in 1998 will never forget the courageous actions and sacrifice that initol Police Officers made this building while protecting others. We owe them and the other officers killed in the line of duty each year a debt we can never repay. That includes patrick underwood, who was shot and killed in the ago. Of duty several weeks we must acknowledge too many Law Enforcement officers do not uphold the ethic of protecting and serving their community. Manyad the reality for too americans, especially africanamericans, is that Police Officers are seen as a threat to their liberty, dignity, and too often their safety. This is not a new problem. Centuries of systemic and Structural Racism has affected all of our institutions. We see it in the rate of covid deaths, mass incarceration, and economic inequality, all of which fall disproportionately on africanamericans. We see it in the harassment and Excessive Force people of color routinely face by too many Police Officers. Beenmistakable message has sent to africanamericans in this country. That they are secondclass citizens, and their lives are somehow less value. Let me state clearly and unequivocally that black lives matter. George floyd mattered. Breonna taylor mattered. Eric garner, tamir rice, walter scott, Laquan Mcdonald mattered. Rayshard brooks mattered. The countless other people who lost their lives at the hands of Law Enforcement mattered. Andfar too long Police Justice reform have fallen on deaf ears in congress, that changes today. Actjustice in policing would finally allow for meaningful accountability in Police Misconduct and reimagine policing in the 21st century. This legislation, which currently has 227 cosponsors in the house, and 36 cosponsors in the senate, makes it easier for the federal government to successfully prosecute Police Misconduct cases, banned chokehold, into racial and religious profiling, encourages prosecution independent of local police, and eliminates the courtmade document of qualified immunity of civil rights lawsuits of Law Enforcement officers. At the same time it works to prevent Police Violence and bias through front end approaches aimed at encouraging departments to meet a Gold Standard in training, hiring, deescalation strategies, bystander duty, use of cameras, and other best practices. The goal is to achieve a model of not warrior, policing. Data on key policing matters, including a first ever database on Police Misconduct incidents to prevent the movement of dangerous officers from department to department. No knock warrant and the militarization of policing and lynching is a federal hate crime. The bill does this while using no federal funds for Police Departments except for mandated Data Collection and repurposes existing funding for the programs. It creates a new Grant Program for communitybased organizations to create local commissions and task forces on Police Innovation to reimagine how Public Safety could work in an equitable and just way in each community. I want to thank the gentlelady from california who chaired the crime subcommittee who sponsored this legislation for her work in crafting a bill that is bold and transformative to meet the moment that calls out for sweeping ris reform while taking a responsible and balanced approach to the many complicated issues associated policing. I want to thank the members of this committee you have worked on and introduce legislation included in the legislation before us. Activiststhank the leading protests across the country. It is because of you we are here today considering the most significant reforms to policing in a generation. It is because of your energy, your determination, and your demands for justice that the nation has awakened to the need for action. To the families of those who have lost their lives at the hands of Law Enforcement, everyone in this room mourns with you. Today we will offer more than just sympathy. Today we are proposing meaningful change. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Pledges to study the problem are not enough. Half measures are not enough. To the members of this committee, the justice in policing act is our opportunity to show the world we are listening and will respond with a real and lasting reform. We must not let this moment slip away. If we find ourselves here again, listening to the heartbreaking testimony of another grieving family member, wondering why we didnt act when we had the chance, it will be a stain on our legacy. We must not let that happen. I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation. I recognize the distinguished Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from ohio, mr. Jordan, for his Opening Statement. Rep. Jordan i should point out for the members are calling from kentucky, mr. Barr, lost his wife last evening as well. We want to think about the barr family as well. Foreign fundamental principle should form the framework for Public Policy four fundamental principle should form the framework for Public Policy. What happened to george floyd was a tragedy. It doesnt happen again. Their families deserve to see swift justice for their killers. Peaceful protest is important. Its part of our First Amendment liberties. We have all engagedi in it. Theres a big difference between peaceful protest and rioting, looting, violence, and attacking our Police Officers or forming these new autonomous zones we see in seattle, whatever the designation is. There is a big difference. Third, the vast majority of Police Officers do a great job. They risk their lives every day community. Our they are the individuals who rushed into the twin towers on 9 11. They are the individuals on capitol hill who protect us every day. They are the guys in our community who put on that uniform every shift and risk their lives, and we should remember that as we develop policy and the Judiciary Committee. Defunding the police and dismantling Police Departments is one of the craziest policies i have ever heard. Two weeks ago the president said in his speech in florida, laid out the mission clearly. He talked about healing not hatred, justice not chaos. Those words underscore what we heard from George Floyds brother and week ago. Just last week when he sat here in such a compelling way, talked about three simple words, one sentence. Life is precious. Life is precious. George floyds life, Ahmaud Arberys life, Breonna Taylors life, Rayshard Brookss life. Each life is precious. Everyone understands that. We have an obligation to make improvements to Public Policy that recognize that basic fact that was said so well by word floyds brother last week. The president understands it as well. Yesterday he gathered the families of fallen Law Enforcement officers and the families of victims of Police Brutality at the white house as part of his executive order that lays the groundwork for beginning to address these real concerns. Even before the executive order, this administration worked with us on good policy, good strong policy. Allcollins, mr. Jeffries, of us on this committee with the first step act. Real prison reform. This administration has worked to support historically black colleges and opportunity zones, school choice, where we Work Together. I hope thats what happens today. I hope my colleagues on the democrat side of the aisle will work with us on the many amendments we plan to offer that we think function within the four principles i talked about, and will help deal with the situation. They didnt start off that way. Not one single republican was consulted with the bill we are marking up today. You introduced it and and talk with us. I hope today you will embrace our thoughtful amendments we plan to offer. Amendments consistent with the constitution, the rule of law, those four principles, and easter floyds words that life floyds words mr. That life is precious. I look forward to the next several hours that we can adopt republican amendments that we think will make this legislation the kind of legislation our country wants us to develop in the house Judiciary Committee. With that, i yield back. Recognize the now gentle lady from california and sponsor of this legislation for her Opening Statement. Mylet me begin by offering prayers to representative sensenbrenner. He is my travel partner to africa. We have traveled several times together and have had many conversations about his wife, from the time she first took ill two over the last few years. My prayers and thoughts are with him. Two weeks ago the world witnessed a horrific crime on the streets of minneapolis come the slow, torturous murder of george floyd. I want to acknowledge the murder of dave patrick underwood. Last week we were able to hear about him. And members, you may or may not have heard, the person who killed him was arrested yesterday. Person hadut that deliberately infiltrated the protesters with the objective to kill Police Officers. He was a member of a right Wing Organization that believed in creating chaos. Im glad that arrest took place. The tragic death of george floyd has galvanized the nation to look at our history. Black americans have been sadly marching for over 100 years to bring attention to this gross injustice we have faced for centuries. We have marched against abuse and for the police to protect and serve our communities like they do elsewhere. In the 1950s news cameras exposed the horrors of legalized racism. Hasthe cell phone camera exposed the continuation of violence directed at police. Thisicans by ad truth is when people told stories of police abuse and murder at the hands of Police Officers, they werent believed. Even when there were videotapes, questions were asked. We dont know what happened before the camera went on. When we heard about this person who was killed, we question their background. Maybe they had a police record. Even if that was the case, what happened to arresting someone and the presumption of innocence before Proven Guilty . Technology and active citizen involvement to document and expose this ugly reality. Understanding the problem isnt enough. We need fundamental change. That is why chairman nadler and cosponsors,h 227 introduced the justice in act. Ing this transformative legislation will assist Police Departments to change the culture, raise standards of the profession, and hold those officers accountable cho fail to uphold the ethi of serving their communities. I dont need to repeat whats in the bill, you will hear about it through the day, but im certain Police Officers want to be free to intervene and stop deadly force when it is not necessary. You may have heard about the Police Officer who intervened last year when one of her colleagues had a person in a choke hold and she was afraid this individual was going to kill this Police Officer this Police Officer was going to kill this person. The africanAmerican Woman, she intervened. She got fired. I believe most Police Officers would have rendered aid like she did, and would have stopped what happened. I believe Police Officers want to be trained in the best practices in policing. To help support officers, this will create the First National accreditation standards for the operation of Police Departments. National standards for officers. When i met with the fraternal order of police, they requested this and said they had been trying to get National Standards for years. They were doing it in a retail manner. If we are able to pass this legislation with teeth in it, it will help them. Hem. Despite our best intentions, some officers will cross the line