The House of Representatives passed a resolution on Friday denouncing calls to “defund the police” which have preceded a record-breaking spike in violence against law enforcement officers. The measure was approved in a bipartisan 337-61 vote with all opposition coming from Democratic lawmakers including several members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) a former police lieutenant the nonbinding resolution condemns the anti-cop movement declares support for officers in the line of duty and expresses condolences to families of those killed while serving.
Among the Democrats who voted against the measure were Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA.), Cori Bush (D-MO), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Greg Casar (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) — all members of the far-left “Squad.”
Stauber railed against Democrats who “vilify law enforcement” on the House floor ahead of the vote asking “Where were they during the summer of 2020?” when the killing of George Floyd ignited widespread violence and led to a surge in police deaths.
Republicans have made crime a central topic in the 2024 election cycle arguing that Democrats’ policies have sacrificed the safety of law enforcement. However, some Democrats criticized the Police Week proposals as misleading messaging bills that fuel xenophobic sentiments without making communities safer.
The phrase “defund the police” gained traction following the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement with advocates calling for reinvesting funds from law enforcement into services like mental health. Republicans have seized on the slogan to portray Democrats as anti-police.
The House Democratic campaign arm noted that the Republican Study Committee the largest conservative caucus in the House released a budget proposal in March calling for reducing funding to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program which offers funding for various law enforcement agencies.
