[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 118 (Friday, June 26, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2020

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, nearly a month ago, our nation watched in 
horror as a white Minneapolis, MN police officer murdered George Floyd. 
His murder, and those of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbury, Rayshard 
Brooks, and far too many others, serve as a sobering reminder of the 
original sin on which our nation has been built--the brutal legacy of 
slavery, segregation, oppression, and discrimination spanning more than 
400 years.
  In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, thousands of Americans 
peacefully assembled in every state and the District of Columbia to 
exercise their First Amendment rights to protest and petition their 
government for change. My hometown, which has a proud tradition of 
civic participation and free speech expression, saw the largest protest 
in our history as residents demanded immediate justice and reform.
  On Tuesday, June 23, I held a listening session with Black Lives 
Matter activists, community organizers, and local officials to discuss 
systemic racism, police brutality, and what it will take to heal the 
deep wounds that still ail our nation. This session was powerful and 
moving, cementing my commitment to the eradication of racism in every 
corner of the nation. Racism is present in nearly every institution, 
every system.
  One individual, whose family has lived in Oregon for generations, 
shared her family's experience growing up in segregated Eugene, OR. Her 
mother's two sisters, only four and six years old, were hit by a fast-
moving vehicle and when community members called for help, no ambulance 
came. They both died. Why? Because the victims were two black girls. 
They were seen as less than human, and our public safety response 
treated them like they were. Racism is present in our public safety and 
emergency response.
  A member of the CAHOOTS Crisis Response team also joined our 
discussion. CAHOOTS is a nonprofit in our district which provides 
mental health crisis intervention. Last year alone, CAHOOTS responded 
to roughly 20 percent of the area's 911 and public safety calls.
  She shared how just a few weeks ago, she convinced an armed black man 
in crisis--surrounded by armed police--to disarm himself. She then 
escorted him to her van, uncuffed, and helped him receive the mental 
health intervention he needed. CAHOOTS is a model for what our future 
public safety response could look like, and heroes like her exemplify 
how an armed response may not always be the best or most appropriate 
response.
  One activist spoke about her experience with racism in professional 
spaces. She told me about how her identity as a Black woman made her 
supervisors scrutinize her work more heavily and less willing to help 
when employees of color were dealing with personal struggles. Racism is 
present in our workplaces.
  One community leader, joined by a separate activist, discussed 
disparities in mental health and how our healthcare system often fails 
Black Americans and people of color. They called for the creation of 
institutions that specialize in delivering mental health care to people 
of color because it's clear: racism is present in our healthcare system 
and its consequences can be fatal.
  Racism is present in nearly every sector of American life, and 
everywhere around our nation, including in the progressive communities 
of Eugene and Springfield, where I call home. It is abundantly clear we 
have reached a tipping point. Americans will no longer tolerate 
antiquated systems of oppression. They are demanding that their 
government act, and I have heard their calls. I am committed to 
proactively working to dismantle institutional racism and oppression. 
It will take anti-racist policy and direct action to finally exorcise 
these evils and heal the wounds they created.
  We must rethink and reform our institutions. The Justice in Policing 
Act is a critical first step; but make no mistake, much more work needs 
to be done. We must look at increasing funding for alternative public 
safety programs.
  We must fight racism in every corner of the country. It is a cancer. 
Too long it has been ignored and allowed to grow and divide out of 
control. We must, and we will, take a stand here and now. Enough is 
enough.

                          ____________________