Congresswoman Lee's Statement on the grand jury verdict concerning the murder of Eric Garner
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Lee released this statement on the grand jury verdict in the case of the murder of Eric Garner:
“My heart continues to go out to Eric Garner’s family and community.
I am, like so many others, outraged by today's verdict. The Department of Justice should act immediately to investigate this tragedy and ensure justice is done.
We cannot allow the senseless murders of black men to continue.
These tragedies have been happening for many years. But the recent high profile cases of injustice for the families of Eric Garner and Michael Brown have and should spark a national debate and long overdue action to address the structural and institutional racial biases in our nation.
In 2009, my community experienced a similar tragedy with the murder of Oscar Grant.
I stand with those moved by this tragedy to peacefully make their voices heard and I urge police to respect people exercising their First Amendment rights.
As a nation and community, we must come together like never before to take the long overdue action necessary to address police misconduct, criminal justice reform and ensure equal justice for everyone.”
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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.