PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: House Democrats are urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to preserve the Community Relations Service, a civil rights-era office under threat of closure. The program, ostensibly intended to resolve ethnic tensions, was deployed twice in Minneapolis during the George Floyd riots with little effect.
👥 Who’s Involved: Over two dozen House Democrats, including Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), have reached out to Bondi and the Justice Department (DOJ).
📍 Where & When: The letter was sent on Wednesday, May 7, 2024, with concerns stemming from a Justice Department memo reviewed last month.
💬 Key Quote: “We strongly urge you to abandon any plans of dissolving the work of the Community Relations Service,” wrote the House Democrats.
⚠️ Impact: Supporters contend that closing the office could increase the risk of racial unrest and legal challenges, while detractors contend it can exacerbate racial grievances.
IN FULL:
House Democrats are formally appealing to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to maintain the Community Relations Service, a non-investigative and nonprosecutorial office established under the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the civil rights era. This office, often termed the “peacemakers program,” faces potential closure according to a DOJ memo issued last month.
Created under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Community Relations Service ostensibly aims to mediate and resolve racial and ethnic tensions, conflicts, and civil disturbances, fostering racial harmony and stability. Notably, the office was twice deployed to Minneapolis during the George Floyd riots but appears to have had little impact.
“We are aware that during the previous Trump Administration there was a similar effort to abandon the valuable work of the Community Relations Service by recommending its elimination in budget proposals and reducing staffing,” the letter, spearheaded by Represenative Bobby Scott (D-VA), reads, adding: “We strongly urge you to abandon any plans of dissolving the work of the Community Relations Service.”
While the Community Relations Service, expanded under the 2008 Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, does not possess law enforcement authority—instead offering confidential and free services to communities—the program received a budget of $24 million in the 2024 fiscal year. Notably, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recommended the elimination of similar programs at other federal agencies to cut government waste.