Biden to sign police reform executive order 2 years after George Floyd's death
President Biden is expected to sign an executive order to reform federal policing on Wednesday, two years after the death of George Floyd.
The executive order will direct all federal agencies to revise their use-of-force policies and create a database of officers fired for misconduct, among other initiatives. The White House and the Justice Department have been working on the directive since last year, when a similar police reform effort failed in the Senate, The New York Times notes. Officials believe the order, which will be more limited in scope than the Senate's would-be plan, will satisfy both activists and law enforcement, even if neither side is entirely pleased.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who helped lead efforts in the Senate, called the order "very strong," per CBS News.
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"I think the president's team — using the powers that he has — have done an excellent job of advancing the call that I think all Americans feel to do everything you can to improve the policing profession, to empower our officers with both accountability and support," Booker said.
Biden is supposed to sign the directive alongside police officials and relatives of Floyd's, the Times notes. It will likely be one of his first official acts following his return from a trip to Asia.
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