House Votes to Denounce the ‘Defund the Police’ Movement

The House of Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution condemning the “defund the police” movement, which gained popularity during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

The resolution was approved by a vote of 337-61, with all Republicans voting in favor during National Police Week.

It stated that calls to defund the police led to increased violence towards law enforcement and expressed sympathy to families of police officers killed in the line of duty.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., criticized the safety of law enforcement under President Joe Biden’s leadership, attributing it to the Democrats’ pro-criminal agenda. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., a member of “The Squad,” criticized the resolutions passed during National Police Week.

Advocates for defunding the police argue that the funds should be reallocated to mental health services and other first responders, while opponents believe it demonizes police and can have dangerous consequences.

House Democrats countered Republican claims by pointing out the Republican Study Committee’s budget proposal in March, which targeted reducing funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services program.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated that he had not reviewed the RSC’s budget proposal.