US House of Representatives Passed HR1 and George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

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On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, a sweeping government and elections reform bill and a key legislative priority for the Democratic majority. The House also passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act however the vote was initially scheduled for Thursday. Our reliable sources have confirmed that there have been discussions about moving upvotes in the House. On Wednesday, the House Sergeant at Arms said in a bulletin that the US Capitol Police received new and concerning information and intelligence indicating additional interest in the Capitol for the dates of March 4th – 6th by a militia group. The Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman informed legislators during a hearing and said, “We do have some concerning intelligence and we have enhanced our security posture”.

Point to be noted that the concerns for lawmakers’ safety came after the Capitol was stormed by a mob looking to overturn the presidential election on 6^th January, with several rioters looking to harm or even assassinate legislators. The H.R. 1 passed by a vote of 220-210. No Republicans voted to pass the bill as most Republicans have been vocally opposed to it. They believe it amounts to federal overreach and a Democratic power grab. On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “This is something that is enormously popular among the American people. The American people want to reduce the role of big, dark, special interest money in politics, which is preventing so many good things from happening. The people want to see an end to voter suppression”.

The House also voted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by a vote of 220 to 212. It is noteworthy that Democratic Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Ron Kind of Wisconsin voted against the legislation. Republican Representative Lance Gooden of Texas voted for the bill but later tweeted that he did so by mistake. The legislation would ban chokeholds and overhaul qualified immunity protections for law enforcement. The House had already passed H.R. 1 in 2019 after Democrats took back the majority and passed the Justice in Policing Act last spring, but neither bill was considered in the Republican-controlled Senate. Democrats now have a narrow 50-seat majority in the Senate, but most legislation requires 60 votes to advance.