This Can't Wait Any Longer: We Need Critical Police Bills Passed Now
Please call federal lawmakers today!
It’s starting to feel, yet again, as if federal law enforcement bills are taking a back seat in Congress. Granted, it takes a reasonable amount of time to pass bills -as it should- and there are also a lot of other important priorities on the table right now.
One of these priorities needs to be getting critical police bills across the finish line this congressional session!
Yet here’s what I see from my view.
A policing profession that continues to operate on life support (the level of dysfunction varies by jurisdiction);
An approaching mid-term election that may (or may not) change the balance of power. As difficult as it is to get police bills passed with Republicans holding power in both chambers, I think our chances are nil if this balance should change in 2026. Hence the sense of urgency on my part;
Members of Congress who claim to support the police, yet who show little interest in helping to shepherd legislation. Claiming to support the police doesn’t mean much if it isn’t followed up with meaningful action. Yet some of these same lawmakers have time for social media drama and self-promotion.
To be clear, I’m grateful to members of Congress who took the time to meet with us this past May (or who sent senior staffers in their place) and demonstrated genuine concern for our police officers. These include lawmakers like Sens. Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, and Chuck Grassley on the Senate side; and Reps. Mike Ezell and Don Bacon on the House side. Several of them continue to be receptive whenever I reach out.
Our coalition continues to work behind-the-scenes, trying to get the word out about critical police bills. Yet we can’t be everywhere and do everything, especially as a small group of volunteers with limited resources.
It’s why I’m asking you to please call your federal lawmakers today, urging them to support the following critical bills.
While all five of these bills are a top priority this congressional session, the first two listed, the Qualified Immunity Act of 2025 and the Police Officer Self-Defense Protection Act, are especially important.
You can read more about all of these bills here.
With several of these bills, including the QI bill, some lawmakers have raised concerns about potential federal overreach. You can tell them that this bill would serve as precedent, similar to how the Graham v. Connor decision helped determine universal standards for reasonable use of force. It’s not a panacea (no bill is), but it’s an excellent start. If you’re adept at constitutional law, please let me know if I missed anything here.
Our window for getting legislative bills that may very well have a profound effect on policing, is getting shorter by the day. Let’s not have regrets that we could have done more when we had the opportunity.
As always, please let me know if you have questions or thoughts.
Best.
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.