House forced to delay police funding bill over Democratic divisions

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Biden flips on 'Defend the Police' agenda to win back voters

Fox News' Chad Pergram reports from live from Capitol Hill on the new Democratic agenda on crime

House Democrats were forced Wednesday to delay legislation increasing funding for state and local police departments, amid pushback from progressives who are demanding more accountability measures for law enforcement. 

The House was expected to vote on a series of bills creating new federal grants for communities to hire more police officers, implement violence intervention programs and invest in mental health resources.

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Although seemingly uncontroversial, the legislation divided House Democrats. 

Moderates wanted it passed quickly in order to stem attacks from the GOP that Democrats were the party of defunding the police. Progressives and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, meanwhile, voiced reservations about giving more money without accountability measures in place to prevent police brutality.

"We need to make sure that there are strong accountability provisions and that we are actually ensuring public safety for everyone," said Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 and other legislation in Rayburn Building on Tuesday, November 17, 2021.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

With Democrats only holding narrow control over the chamber, the opposition was enough to prevent the package from moving forward. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told lawmakers in a letter that the police funding bills would be revisited when lawmakers returned in August to vote on a party-line spending bill.

"We are grateful to all our Members for promoting our shared values reflected in specific legislation that we can all support," Pelosi wrote. 

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Lawmakers involved in the talks say the extra time will allow for the crafting of a deal acceptable to both progressives and moderate Democrats. Not everyone believes it can get done, however. 

"They don’t want to do anything for police," said Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., when asked whether he thought progressives could be placated into supporting more police funding. 

The delay comes one day after former President Trump delivered remarks in Washington, D.C. lambasting Democrats as the party of crime and disorder. 

Former President Trump, second from right, commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by visiting the NYPD's 17th police precinct in New York, on Saturday Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Jill Colvin) (AP)

"Many of our once great cities, from New York to Chicago to L.A., where the middle class used to flock to live the American dream, are now war zones — literal war zones," Trump told the America First Policy Institute. "We are living in such a different country for one primary reason: There is no longer respect for law and order." 

"Our country is now a cesspool of crime," Trump added.  

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Crime is increasingly an issue that Republicans are using to create a contrast with Democrats. Although few members of the latter party have adopted calls to "defund the police," the issue is still one that Democrats have to contend with, much to their chagrin. 

Demonstrators hold a sign reading "Defund the police" during a protest over the death of a Black man, Daniel Prude, after police put a spit hood over his head during an arrest on March 23, in Rochester, New York, U.S. September 6, 2020. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

"The notion that any of our frontline members or members of the House Democratic Caucus support defunding the police is just part of the big lie that extreme MAGA Republicans continue to tell about everything," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.