Congresswoman Lee's Statement on Deaths of Alton Sterling & Philando Castile
Oakland, CA - Congresswoman Lee released this statement following the shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LA and Philando Castile in Minneapolis, MN:
“My heart goes out to the families and communities of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Like everyone in our community, I am devastated by the senseless murder of two more black man.
Their deaths and the deaths of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Oscar Grant, one of my constituents, serve as tragic examples of the senseless murder of young African American men.
I’m proud to co-sponsor Congressman John Conyers’ Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act which supports better training for use of force, more extensive reporting requirements, and higher standards for the accreditation of police departments.
We must come together like never before to tackle the systemic racial bias endemic in our institutions and criminal justice system. We must demand change and work to realize it."
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.