Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Committee on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget released the following statement on the renaming of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020:

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee proposed renaming the original policing bill, The Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act of 2020 and proposed an amendment to name the Justice in Policing bill after George Floyd. It has been accepted and will be presented on Wednesday in the Judiciary Committee markup.

This is a tribute to George Floyd who died at the hands of Minneapolis police. After stupendous testimony giving by his brother at the Judiciary hearing on last week, Wednesday, June 10, 2020, the nation knows the story and life of George Floyd and the pain the family is suffering. The bill is made even more historically significant by naming it after George Floyd. The pain for this family will never end and the pain in the city of Houston continues as we remember him as Big Floyd. He has a place in history beyond the heinous act of violence at the hands of law enforcement who failed to be a guardian of the people.

“The strength and foundation of democratic government rests upon the consent and confidence of the governed. Similarly, effective enforcement of the law and administration of justice requires the confidence of the community that the law will be enforced impartially and that all persons are treated equally without regard to race or ethnicity or religion or national origin,” stated Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 will be the first major step for change.