Press Releases
Arrington Rejects Growing Federal Intervention into Local Control of Policing
Washington,
September 22, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Jodey Arrington (TX-19) today voted against legislation in the House of Representatives that would expand federal control over policing. “This legislation would expand the federal bureaucracy, unnecessarily take over the responsibilities of local governments, and add even more strings to federal funding for the Biden Administration to impose their woke agenda and unrelated progressive policies on the American people,” said Rep. Arrington. “This is a Texas-sized fig leaf to cover the Democrats’ reckless policies and dangerous rhetoric that have encouraged crime, coddled criminals, and created a culture of lawlessness in our country.”  Click here to watch Rep. Arrington’s full remarks. The House-passed legislation would give the federal government more power over how local law enforcement train and operate their police departments. These bills would issue billions of dollars in grants and allow unelected bureaucrats to dictate how local law enforcement agencies do their job. Remarks as Prepared Since the riots of 2020, I’ve been warning my Democrat colleagues, “we get what we tolerate.” After two years of Democrats amplifying “defund the police” rhetoric, failing to hold criminals accountable, and refusing to condemn the lawlessness that’s running rampant in our cities across the country, crime is absolutely out of control. Last year, a record number of police officers were killed – 73 American heroes lost their lives – and law enforcement experienced a staggering 115% increase in ambush-style attacks. Further evidence of the Left’s war on law enforcement: police have seen a 45% increase in retirements and a 20% increase in resignations, leaving the most vulnerable Americans even more susceptible to being victimized by criminals. Now, the party of “defund the police” wants to push through some face-saving bills just ahead of the election in November. Call me cynical, but that’s unbelievable. This legislation would expand the federal bureaucracy, unnecessarily take over the responsibilities of local governments, and add even more strings to federal funding for the Biden Administration to impose their woke agenda and unrelated progressive policies on the American people. This is a Texas-sized fig leaf to cover the Democrats’ reckless policies and dangerous rhetoric that have encouraged crime, coddled criminals, and created a culture of lawlessness in our country. |