[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               LAW ENFORCEMENT DE-ESCALATION TRAINING ACT

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, the killing of Tyre Nichols has 
reignited a national debate about the excessive use of force by police, 
and rightfully so. This unarmed 29-year-old was brutally beaten by 
Memphis police officers with an egregious, excessive use of force.
  Within the Republican conference, Senator Tim Scott from South 
Carolina has been our leader on police reform matters, and I have been 
proud to work with him on bills to help improve policing in our 
communities and public safety. One of those bills was the Law 
Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, which, by the way, was just 
signed into law last month.
  This new law will ensure that all police officers have the 
opportunity to acquire skills to defuse a potentially dangerous 
situation like the one we saw in Memphis. Use of force should only come 
into play when absolutely necessary, and this legislation will provide 
law enforcement officers with the knowledge of what alternatives are 
available to them, which invariably will make their lives better and 
safer and also protect the life of the individual who is being 
detained.
  This has the potential to save lives and prevent another senseless 
and entirely preventable tragedy like this from reoccurring.
  I am glad this legislation is now the law of the land, and the 
Department of Justice must implement it as quickly as possible.

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