COLUMN – JUSTICE Act will review criminal justice system

Published 5:03 pm Thursday, July 2, 2020

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I am excited to be back in Washington working to find solutions to the difficult issues facing our nation.

Thursday night I voted against the Democrats’ policing reform proposal that would undermine law enforcement and make our communities less safe.  This isn’t the time for partisan wish lists or putting politics over people. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the JUSTICE Act, an alternative policing reform bill, which has been co-sponsored by more than 130 other members of the House and can help bring real and positive change to our communities.

The JUSTICE Act will establish a commission to undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system in the United States. The legislation would also increase the reporting requirements around no-knock warrants, incentivize the use of body cameras, and create grant programs to better train our police forces.  I am proud of this legislation, which will help us take meaningful steps towards police reform. 

Friday afternoon, I spoke on the House floor against H.R. 5332, the Protecting Your Credit Score Act. 

The passage of H.R. 5332 would have harmful and unintended consequences for consumers.  It is, simply put, yet another veiled attempt to socialize the credit reporting and scoring industry that will cause harm to hardworking Americans. 

This bill mandates the three nationwide credit reporting agencies create a shared online “portal” and would create significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities for consumers and companies. Doing this would create opportunities for bad actors to manipulate and take advantage of consumer data.

Creating a one-stop-shop for the credit report, personal information, and social security number of every individual would be disastrous in the event of a cyber hack or data breach.

We need to find targeted solutions that focus on increasing the cybersecurity capability at credit reporting agencies, increase competition and increase access to credit for consumers and businesses. 

I received the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for my work to promote small businesses and grow the economy in the 5th District. I will continue to work to cut burdensome regulations and find ways to help our small businesses succeed.

If you need help with a federal agency, please contact my Charlottesville Office at (434) 973-9631. At this time, all Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, including the National Zoo, are temporarily closed to the public. Additionally, tours of the White House, US Capitol, FBI, and Library of Congress have been suspended to help contain the outbreak and prevent community spread.

Denver Riggleman represents Charlotte in the U.S. House of Representatives. He can be reached by visiting https://riggleman.house.gov/ or by phone at (434) 973-9631.