Passaic Today

Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, on May 16 lambasted the Republican House majority for rejecting a series of vital Pascrell-authored amendments aimed at bolstering support for federal law enforcement agencies and ensuring public safety.

"These amendments were designed to protect and support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe," said Congressman Pascrell. "The Republican majority's decision to reject these amendments is a clear indication of their misplaced priorities and lack of genuine commitment to law enforcement and public safety. By rejecting these provisions, Republicans are sending a dangerous message that they do not value the safety of our communities, nor the sacrifices made by our law enforcement officers. Despite now’s setbacks, I will continue to fight for increased support and resources for our brave public servants who work tirelessly to protect our communities and our country."

Congressman Pascrell’s amendments, which were rejected by the Republican House majority, included provisions that would:

1. Disagree with calls from certain Republican Members of Congress to defund federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, DHS, and ATF.
2. Condemn the sympathetic visits by current Republican Members of Congress to January 6, 2021, insurrectionists in jail, some of whom are accused of attacking law enforcement, and their calls for their release.
3. Recognize that Donald Trump incited a mob of armed extremists and insurrectionists on January 6, 2021, resulting in the death of five U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police officers and injuries to approximately 150 more.
4. Highlight that three of former President Trump's proposed budgets aimed to eliminate the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) at the Department of Justice, which has placed over 130,000 law enforcement officers in communities across the United States.
5. Commit Congress to increasing funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program and the COPS Hiring program.
6. Define "good standing" in alignment with New Jersey's implementation of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act of 2004.
7. Empower the Government Services Agency (GSA) to issue a rule ensuring that federal law enforcement officers meet similar requirements as retired law enforcement officers or qualified retired law enforcement officers to benefit from the bill.

Original source can be found here.