Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden could be facing a progressive reckoning.
More than 50 left-leaning organizations signed a letter to the former vice president criticizing his policing proposals, cautioning that he risked losing black support ahead of the November election if he did not alter his platform.
The letter, first reported by the New York Times, called on Biden to embrace a more progressive agenda in an effort to undo what they describe as damage caused by his Senate history.
“As the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, you have a moral responsibility in this moment. Making amends for the harm you’ve caused is an important first step, but it is no longer enough,” the letter reads.
“We acknowledge that you’ve taken some positive positions — including calling for a federal ban on police chokeholds — but these too are far from sufficient. In order to rise to this occasion, you must put forward a transformative and comprehensive policing and criminal justice platform that shifts how we approach public safety and allows Black communities in particular to thrive,” it continued.
In response to outrage caused by the recent killings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, two unarmed black men killed by white police officers, protests and riots have emerged nationwide calling for justice.
In the wake of those protests, many progressive groups have begun demanding that federal, state and local governments defund police departments and instead use that funding to enrich struggling, minority communities.
The 2020 Democrat has come out against the “defund the police” platform, as have politicians far to his left like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and prominent black leaders like NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
Johnson argues instead that, “I support the energy behind it,” adding that, “we know there has to be a change in the culture of policing in this country.”
For Sanders, defunding the police is a no go.
“Do I think we should not have police departments in America? No, I don’t. There’s no city in the world that does not have police departments,” the Democratic socialist said last week, adding that he had called for a “transformation” of police departments which involved mental health professionals and others assisting in police work.
Biden’s campaign has called for $300 million in additional funds for a federally run community policing program he created while in the Senate in 1994.
The campaign released the plan last July, but it came under more scrutiny in the wake of the newfound calls for more dramatic and substantive criminal justice reform.
Following Floyd’s murder, Biden also pledged to create a national police oversight commission within the first 100 days of his presidency.
In the letter, however, the liberal groups argue that Biden is undermining their efforts to defund the police with his push for an increase in federal spending on law enforcement.
“The COPS program has directly contributed to the increased size and scope of policing in cities across the country, and the subsequent stream of violence and killings perpetrated by law enforcement on Black people in particular,” it read.
As for what was on the line, the groups cautioned Biden that should he not meet this moment, he could risk sacrificing a surge in black enthusiasm ahead of November.
“You cannot win the election without the enthusiastic support of Black voters, and how you act in this moment of crisis will play a big role in determining how Black voters — and all voters concerned with racial justice — respond to your candidacy,” the letter reads.
“A ‘return to normalcy’ will not suffice. For too many Black people, ‘normalcy’ has meant violence, discrimination, and fear. What we actually need is a visionary departure from ‘normal.’ We need a restorative justice system that values every human life, and enshrines equity above all. We need leadership that will fight every day to align this country with its highest ideals. We are counting on you to demonstrate that leadership,” the letter closed.
A Biden spokesperson did not respond to request for comment by The Post.