WASHINGTON — Flanked by police chiefs from across the United States, President Biden on Friday praised state and local governments for committing to

‘Spend This Money’: Biden Calls on States to Devote Stimulus Funds to Police

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2022-05-14 23:00:07

WASHINGTON — Flanked by police chiefs from across the United States, President Biden on Friday praised state and local governments for committing to use at least $10 billion in federal stimulus money to bolster police departments.

“My message is clear: Spend this money,” Mr. Biden said in the Rose Garden. “Do it quickly before the summer, when crime rates typically surge.”

As Republicans seize on rising violent crime to portray the White House as weak on law and order, Mr. Biden is making a push to show that he is a strong defender of the police ahead of the midterm congressional elections in November.

But the timing of his remarks, just two weeks before the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, also frustrated progressives who say Mr. Biden has yet to make good on early promises to reform police departments accused of racial discrimination.

“The funding should be used to help residents hit hard by the pandemic and help them with longstanding disparities,” said Hannah Halbert, the executive director of Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit organization.

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