Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass to discuss police reform legislation in virtual Newsmaker, July 16

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., will address whether the stalemate over police reform legislation in the Senate will derail efforts to address racial bias in law enforcement on July 16 at a virtual National Press Club Headliners Newsmaker.

The Newsmaker event begins at 2 p.m. and will be webcast. Click here to watch the livestream.

Bass’ remarks will be followed by moderated questions and answers. National Press Club Vice President Lisa Matthews will moderate the event.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, named for the Black man killed by police during a routine arrest in Minneapolis, passed the House in late June. Senate Democrats, however, blocked a police reform bill authored by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., saying it did not do enough to curb police abuses.

Bass, who represents a California district that includes parts of Los Angeles, shepherded the Justice in Policing Act through the House. The House bill bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, as well as lowering the legal barriers for bringing civil and criminal charges against police for misconduct.

The Senate bill offers financial incentives, federal reporting requirements and training to discourage use of chokeholds and no knock warrants, but does not change immunity protections for police.

Prior to her election to Congress in 2010, Bass served in the California State Assembly, where in 2008, she became the first-ever African-American woman in U.S. history to serve as speaker of any state legislature. Under her leadership, Republicans and Democrats in the assembly came together to address California’s financial crisis. For their action, Bass and three of her colleagues — another Democrat and two Republicans — were awarded a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2010. The judges recognized “the political courage each demonstrated in standing up to the extraordinary constituent and party pressure they faced while working with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to address California’s severe finance crisis."

For more information, contact Bob Weiner 202-306-1200 [email protected]