Reps. Gottheimer, Rutherford advocate for Senate vote on Invest to Protect Act

In the wake of the House of Representatives advancing the Invest to Protect Act, U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and John Rutherford (R-FL) are urging a Senate vote on the measure.

The legislators recently forwarded correspondence to Senate leadership urging them to bring their bill to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as possible next month. The Invest to Protect Act ensures local police departments nationwide have what they need to recruit and retain the best officers, provide necessary training, and invest in mental health resources for officers.

“Nearly every Democrat and more than 150 Republicans came together to vote our legislation out of the House, to ensure small law enforcement agencies across the United States have access to the tools and resources they need,” the legislators wrote. “This vital legislation was developed through many conversations with Republicans and Democrats in both chambers and with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including the Congressional Black Caucus, National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).”

The Invest to Protect Act will make targeted investments in small and midsize police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers, which they said make up more than 96 percent of all local police departments nationwide.

“We urge you to take swift action on this matter by bringing the Invest to Protect Act to the Senate floor for a vote next month so that the President can sign this bipartisan bill into law immediately,” the legislators concluded.