Press Releases

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus Work to Create Bipartisan Group on Policing Strategies to Address Gun Violence in America

Washington, DC, July 13, 2016

CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) issued the following statement after CBC Member discussions with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lead to the creation of a bipartisan working group to address police relations in the African American community.   

“Last week was exceedingly sad as we as a nation watched in horror the senseless murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and the five Dallas police officers,” said Chairman Butterfield. “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have long called for legislation to address gun violence in America, and over the past week, we met with House Republican leadership and encouraged a bipartisan working group to examine police accountability, community relations among law enforcement, and public safety concerns. 

“Racial tensions among the police and African American community must be addressed, and as members of Congress, we must act and find a workable legislative solution that addresses the issue of community relations with law enforcement in the hope of preventing more senseless killings in America.” 

The bipartisan working group will be led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and will include CBC Members Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Republican Representatives Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Doug Collins (R-GA), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Susan Brooks (R-IN), and Will Hurd (R-TX).

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Since its establishment in 1971, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have joined together to empower America’s neglected citizens and address their legislative concerns. For more than 40 years, the CBC has consistently been the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities in Congress and has been committed to utilizing the full Constitutional power and statutory authority of the United States government to ensure that all U.S. citizens have an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, visit http://cbc-butterfield.house.gov.

Media inquiries: Candace Randle Person at (202) 593-1331 or Candace.Person@mail.house.gov