Congresswoman Cori Bush Secures Leadership Role on House Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement after being appointed Vice Chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.
“The people of St. Louis sent me to Congress to legislate in defense of Black lives and to be a voice for all those who have been dehumanized, displaced, and disregarded,” said Congresswoman Cori Bush. “For too long, our criminal-legal system has prioritized incarceration over justice, punishment over rehabilitation, and profit over people. If we want a system that truly delivers justice, we must replace the racism and white supremacy that has dictated our criminal law for decades with radical love and compassion for every person.
“The need for justice is personal to me and my community. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department continues to lead the nation in police killings per capita — tragedy upon tragedy, year after year. The devastation we feel fuels our desire for change. Our path forward requires leading with love – which means fighting for transformative policies, from decarceration to abolishing the federal death penalty and ending racial wage and health gaps once and for all. If we want a just society, we must reimagine public safety and invest in social safety nets that keep people safe. I will continue to partner with the organizers, activists, faith leaders and communities most impacted by these issues who are on the ground in Missouri’s First District and all over the country championing the movement for change.
“St. Louis, we have the opportunity to make that change. I’m grateful to Chairman Jerry Nadler, Subcommittee Chairwoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and my colleagues for trusting our movement and trusting me—a proud activist in the fight for Black lives—as a leader on our committee.”
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The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security has jurisdiction over the Federal Criminal Code, drug enforcement, sentencing, parole and pardons, internal and homeland security, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, prisons and criminal law enforcement.
Congresswoman Cori Bush represents Missouri’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She is a Member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She serves as Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She is a registered nurse, single mother, and an ordained pastor. Following the murder of Michael Brown Jr. by a now-terminated Ferguson police officer, she became a civil rights activist and community organizer fighting for justice for Black lives on the streets of Missouri and across the country.