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Members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation trade barbs over police reform measures

aarp.org

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  The Tennessee Congressional delegation is at odds over Thursday’s passage by the U.S. House of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

The legislation passed exactly one month after Floyd’s death in the custody of Minneapolis police. Floyd’s death has sparked protests over police use of force policies and racial discrimination across the U.S. and around the world.

The Act prohibits choke holds, reduces police immunity, and creates a national police misconduct database. The measure passed the House largely along party lines.

Tennessee Republican Rep. David Kustoff blasted Democrats for the bill’s passage saying they “failed to work across the aisle,” and concluding the measure makes it “more difficult for officers to effectively do their jobs.”

Memphis Democrat Steve Cohen called the Act “a good bill” and accused the GOP of wanting to “talk about everything but…unjust police practices.”

The bill likely will not be taken up by the Republican dominated U.S. Senate.

Earlier in the week the Senate tried to pass a GOP sponsored police reform bill. That legislation was derailed by Senate Democrats.

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