House Republicans Seeking to Hold Democrats Accountable for 'Defund the Police' Calls
House Republicans on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security urged Democratic Chairwoman Sheila Jackson Lee on Wednesday to hold a hearing to review calls to “defund the police” by Democrats.
Subcommittee Ranking Member and Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs tweeted information regarding a letter sent to the chairwoman that was first reported by the Daily Caller.
The letter was signed by all Republicans on the subcommittee, as well as House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member and Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
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I just called on Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to hold a hearing. See below: https://t.co/L6T4GlvRSq
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 16, 2021
“Radical left-wing proposals to defund police forces threaten public safety and put law enforcement officers at risk. The reckless decisions to defund police forces — and the Biden administration’s apathy towards these actions — have had a real effect on American communities,” the letter read.
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“Homicides have increased in many of the cities that have defunded their police forces. Other violent crimes are also on the rise in many of these cities,” the letter added.
The request also addressed the correlation between decreased law enforcement funding and the increase of homicides in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.
“After slashing its police budget by nearly $1 billion, New York City saw a 97 percent rise in shootings and almost a 45 percent increase in homicides. Austin, Texas, saw a 50 percent spike in homicides. Los Angeles, California, experienced an increase of 11.6 percent in homicides,” the letter read.
The letter specifically called out Democrats who have supported defunding police.
“Republicans have condemned violence and been united against radical calls to defund the police. However, many Democrats, including several on this Committee, have expressed support for defunding police forces.
“In fact, when given an opportunity to support police and denounce the defunding of police, Democrats on the Committee voted unanimously to support state and local governments that defund their police departments,” the letter noted.
The request for a hearing concluded the letter. “We ask that you schedule a hearing in the near future to allow Subcommittee Members to hear from law enforcement and civic leaders about how the increase in violent crime attributable to defunding of police.”
Many cities that have slashed police budgets in response to left-wing protests and riots have suffered spikes in violent crime — so much so that many are now calling to “refund the police.”
“A year after the death of George Floyd, elected officials of major cities are walking back commitments to cut police funding amid spiking crime rates,” The Daily Wire’s Tim Pearce wrote in May.
“Elected leaders in places such a Minneapolis, New York City, and Los Angeles are now pushing to increase funding to police departments after months of budget cuts and low morale have gutted law enforcement ranks.”
Notably, this reversal includes Minneapolis, where George Floyd died in police custody on May 25, 2020. One day later, the city also was the site of the first major riot in protest of his death.
Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried the rampant lawlessness infesting his city and said the skyrocketing crime rates suggest that defunding the police was a bad idea.
“The violence needs to stop. It’s unacceptable,” Frey said during a May news conference. “People deserve to feel safe in their neighborhood. They deserve to be able to send their kids out to the sidewalk to play and to recreate without bullets flying by. That’s unacceptable. We should be holding these perpetrators accountable.”
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