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H. RES. ll
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
Calling for justice for George Floyd and others, and condemning violence
and rioting.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. STEUBE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on lllllllllllllll
RESOLUTION
Calling for justice for George Floyd and others, and
condemning violence and rioting.
Whereas the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the
hands of law enforcement was a horrific act that violated
the public trust and was inconsistent with the values and
conduct expected of law enforcement officers;
Whereas the law enforcement officers involved in the killing
of George Floyd have been terminated from their posi-
tions and charged with crimes relating to their conduct
and contribution to the death of George Floyd;
Whereas in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd,
peaceful protests began across the United States focused
on justice for African-American victims of police mis-
conduct;
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Whereas these peaceful protests are protected by the Con-
stitution of the United States through an individual’s
First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, of peaceful
assembly, and to petition the Government concerning
grievances;
Whereas what began as peaceful demonstrations have been
exploited by violent extremists who have carried out acts
of violence, looting, destruction of business and personal
property, and additional loss of life, including the delib-
erate targeting of law enforcement officers;
Whereas due to the actions of violent extremists, certain gov-
ernment functions have been temporarily closed, busi-
nesses have been forced to be shuttered, and livelihoods
have been impacted;
Whereas these acts of violence are considered criminal activ-
ity;
Whereas the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) or Cap-
itol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) is a six-block self-de-
clared autonomous area within the Capitol Hill neighbor-
hood of Seattle, Washington that was established by
protestors on June 8, 2020;
Whereas protestors commandeered the Seattle Police Depart-
ment’s East Precinct after a seven-day standoff with law
enforcement officers and National Guard soldiers;
Whereas rather than seeking justice for George Floyd,
protestors have prohibited law enforcement officers from
entering the CHAZ and/or CHOP zone and have de-
manded anarchistic and socialist reforms, such as the
abolishment of the Seattle Police Department, the abol-
ishment of ICE in the city of Seattle, abolition of impris-
onment, free public house, free colleges, and rent control;
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Whereas when law enforcement officers are prohibited by
protestors from entering the CHAZ and/or CHOP zone,
they are unable to carry out the oath they took to protect
and serve the public;
Whereas on June 11, 2020, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan
proclaimed, ‘‘Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone #CHAZ is
not a lawless wasteland of anarchist insurrection - it is
a peaceful expression of our community’s collective grief
and their desire to build a better world’’;
Whereas at a press conference the next day on June 12,
2020, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best directly contra-
dicted Mayor Durkan, saying that ‘‘Rapes, robberies and
all sorts of violent acts have been occurring in the area
and we’re not able to get to them.’’;
Whereas members of the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club
(PSJBGC), a self-described ‘‘anti-fascist, anti-racist, pro-
worker community defense organization,’’ were reportedly
carrying rifles in the CHAZ and/or CHOP zone;
Whereas a shooting occurred on June 20, 2020 in the CHAZ
and/or CHOP zone in which seven shots were fired in
under three seconds and a 19-year-old man died and a
33-year-old man was in critical condition;
Whereas the Seattle Police Department attempted to respond
and clear the way for emergency medical services, but
they were met by a violent crowd that prevented them
from accessing the victims;
Whereas another shooting occurred on June 21, 2020 in the
CHAZ and/or CHOP zone in which the victim was trans-
ported to Harborview Medical Center and was later re-
leased;
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Whereas these acts of lawlessness take our Nation’s focus
away from a safe and civil dialogue on issues of impor-
tance to our Nation;
Whereas a free society depends on the rule of law, which is
the foundation for the preservation of public order, peace,
and individual rights;
Whereas the United States has a troubled history of racism
that includes slavery, the terror of lynch mobs, segrega-
tion, and Jim Crow, which leaves our country with impor-
tant work to accomplish;
Whereas the just and unbiased enforcement of the rule of law
and the protection of innocent individuals against
lawbreakers is an essential function of government at the
local, State, and Federal levels;
Whereas the law enforcement profession is inherently dan-
gerous and police officers risk their lives every day;
Whereas in 2019, according to statistics reported to the FBI,
89 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty in-
cidents;
Whereas law enforcement officers are entrusted by the public
to uphold the law;
Whereas law enforcement officers who abuse their positions,
engage in corruption, employ excessive force, or exhibit
bias, betray the public trust and undermine the rule of
law;
Whereas good law enforcement cannot exist without account-
ability and justice;
Whereas law enforcement officers swear an oath to uphold
the public trust even though, through the performance of
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the duties of a law enforcement officer, the officers may
become targets for senseless acts of violence;
Whereas law enforcement officers have bravely continued to
meet the call of duty to ensure the security of their
neighborhoods and communities at the risk of their own
personal safety in the time of a viral pandemic;
Whereas the resolve to service is clearly demonstrated by law
enforcement officers across the country who have trag-
ically fallen ill or passed away due to complications of
COVID–19 contracted in the line of duty;
Whereas understaffed police departments and undertrained
police officers increase the risk of encounters that result
in the use of force, including unjustifiable or excessive
force;
Whereas a coalition within the New York City Council pro-
posed a $1 billion cut from the New York Police Depart-
ment budget in the 2021 fiscal year;
Whereas, two Hartford, Connecticut, City Council Members
proposed a 25 percent across the board reduction for the
Hartford Police Department Budget;
Whereas on June 11, 2020, the Austin, Texas, City Council
voted to begin the process of defunding the Austin Police
Department;
Whereas on June 12, 2020, the Minneapolis, Minnesota, City
Council unanimously voted to abolish the Minneapolis Po-
lice Department, despite the fact that Minneapolis’s vio-
lent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation;
Whereas on June 15, 2020, the Baltimore, Maryland, City
Council approved an approximately $22 million budget
cut for the Baltimore Police Department, despite the fact
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that Baltimore saw 348 murders in 2019 with over two-
thirds remaining unsolved;
Whereas on June 16, 2020, the Los Angeles, California, City
Council voted to study ways to cut the Los Angeles Po-
lice Department’s budget by $100 million to $150 million
dollars; and
Whereas defunding the police would leave police departments
understaffed and undertrained, while also increasing the
risk of violent crime to the communities of the United
States, especially vulnerable communities: Now, therefore,
be it
1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
2 (1) calls for justice for George Floyd;
3 (2) calls for justice for officers and others who
4 have suffered from violence at the hands of extrem-
5 ists;
6 (3) strongly condemns the violence, riots, and
7 looting in the United States;
8 (4) recognizes that violent opportunists use the
9 cover of legitimate protests by their fellow citizens to
10 sow chaos;
11 (5) recognizes that the actions of those com-
12 mitted to violence does not diminish the rights of
13 other Americans to peacefully protest;
14 (6) urges peace and order to be restored;
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1 (7) expresses that those responsible for these
2 violent acts be held criminally responsible for their
3 actions;
4 (8) strongly opposes any effort to establish au-
5 tonomous areas within the sovereign territory of the
6 United States; and
7 (9) strongly opposes efforts to defund, dis-
8 mantle, or disband police forces.
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