Congressional Black Caucus Says ‘Enough Is Enough’ With Police Shootings

“The Republicans in Congress are refusing to address gun violence in America that targets black men and black women and Hispanic men and Hispanic women and, yes, even police officers”, Butterfield said while flanked by other members of the Congressional Black Caucus – just hours after five officers were shot and killed while trying to protect protestors who were rallying against police brutality.

CBC members have unanimously endorsed the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act and the End Racial Profiling Act, bills aimed at addressing the policing concerns expressed by black community activists for decades.

“If someone goes in a building and assassinates five police officers, they are a terrorist by any definition”, CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield said at a news conference Friday.

“But if this Congress does not have the guts to lead, then we are responsible for all the bloodshed on the streets of America, whether it be at the hands of people wearing a uniform or whether it’s at the hands of criminals”.

“It was hate-filled, what happened”, Veasey said.

One of the deadly police shootings this week took place in Richmond’s home state of Louisiana, where police in Baton Rouge shot and killed 37-year-old Alton Sterling outside a convenience store where Sterling was selling CDs. He said, “We respect law enforcement”.

“The overwhelming majority of Americans want action to keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists and criminals”, Pelosi said during a press conference on the front steps of the Capitol on Wednesday. Members of the CBC, a committee of House and Senate members, said the fatal shootings should increase urgency around gun control and policing reform legislation that recently stalled in Congress.

“We’ve gotten away from that and we need to bring that back”, said Reichert.

“Sometimes we disagree on how to get there, sometimes we disagree passionately on how to get there”.

Reichert says he plans to meet with House leadership next week to discuss other ideas.

“They already have the biggest gun control laws in the country”. Opponents say the list is far too broad and revoking gun rights based on it would violate the right to due process under the law.

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2), another speaker, directly and indirectly referenced the officer-involved shootings of black men.

CBC members also called on Friday for legislation to outlaw assault-style weapons and limit the number of bullets allowed in magazines and gun clips.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) called for protesters to embrace the non-violent movement that he helped lead during the civil rights marches in the 1960s. “If not, we will perish as foes”. “We must act”, Lewis said.