Refund to Reform: Democrats Use Congressional Earmarks to Strengthen Public Safety

Following the Senate’s failure to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, bipartisan talks of police reform have all but stalled at the federal level. While Fox News and right-wing media claim Democrats want to “defund the police,” a Democratically-controlled Congress has been busy employing every resource available to get their constituents the necessary funding to make their communities safer. In the 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill alone, Democrats in the House and Senate allocated nearly $230 million to law enforcement and community policing initiatives in their districts. These funds went to technology upgrades, violence intervention programs, restorative justice initiatives, and other essential projects. The interactive maps below highlight where these crucial funds are going, and how they are being spent to improve public safety from coast to coast.