House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in an interview Tuesday that Republicans are “trying to get away with, in reality, the murder of George Floyd,” marking a dramatic escalation in rhetoric while the House controlled by Democrats prepares to approve his police reform package.
Pelosi, D-Calif., Speaking with CBS News Radio correspondent Steve Futterman, said the Senate Republican reform proposals in the wake of Floyd’s custody death in Minneapolis were “insurmountable” and will make “no difference.” “
Specifically, Pelosi said Democrats want a total ban on stranglings, which Attorney General William Barr also suggested he would support. But, Pelosi said, some Republicans are arguing on the issue.
LISTEN TO THE PELOSI INTERVIEW HERE
“For something to happen, they will have to face the realities of police brutality, the realities of the need for justice in the police and the recognition that there are many good people in law enforcement, but not all. And that we have to address those concerns, “he said.
“So when they admit that, and they have some suggestions that are worth considering, but until now they were trying to get away with it, the murder of George Floyd,” Pelosi continued.
Senator Tim Scott, RS.C., accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, second from left, and others speaks at a press conference to announce a Republican police reform bill on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)
Instead of pressing on the issue, Futterman quickly asked Pelosi how he feels about the national efforts of “Defund the Police”. But Pelosi’s comment, and Futterman’s failure to challenge Pelosi’s statement, sparked a backlash.
“That must be the most outrageous thing he’s said in at least a few weeks,” said Mark Whitlock, senior adviser to the Republican National Senate Committee (NRSC). “Genuinely surprised, the speaker also received no rejection after that line.”
Added commentator Stephen Miller: “George Floyd has been killed in a city run by a Democratic mayor since 1973, whose police chief was appointed by a Democrat, in a state with two Democratic senators, and has not voted for a Republican president since Nixon Completely crazy, you can say something like this without question. “
Instead, Pelosi went on to discuss the importance of keeping an open mind in the reallocation of police resources.
THE FALTERS POLICE REFORM IN WASHINGTON
“I think people want to say different things,” Pelosi replied. “Of course, public safety is our first responsibility. We have to keep the American people safe; but we want to do it in a way that keeps everyone safe. And there are many ways to do it. Does it mean that police officers should be Social workers? Does that mean they should be arbitrators in family disputes and the rest? No, maybe we can distribute some resources in a way that really meets the security needs of the American people. “
Meanwhile, Congress came to a standstill in police legislation, as key Senate Democrats opposed a Republican proposal as inappropriate.
“We have Chuck Schumer deadlocked in the Justice Act and our opportunity for police reform in the United States,” Senator John Barrasso, Wyo Republican, said Wednesday.
“This is a profound moment, it is a moral moment,” said Sen. Cory Booker, DN.J., co-author of the Democrats’ proposal. “The call is for us to act.”
Speaking to Futterman, Pelosi echoed Booker’s concerns.
Before a test vote on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, acknowledged that he might not reach the 60 votes necessary to survive a filibuster. If so, he promised to try again, hoping to pass legislation before the July 4 holiday break.
“It’s not about them or about us,” said Senator Tim Scott, the only African-American Republican in the Senate and author of the Republican bill. These are young people and others, he said, “who are afraid of running down the street or getting in their car and driving.”
‘LAW OF JUSTICE IN POLITICS’: WHAT IS IN THE DEMOCRATIC POLICE REFORM LAW
The Republican Party Justice Act would create a national database of incidents of use of police force, restrict police bottlenecks, and establish new procedures and training commissions to study race and law enforcement. It is not as broad as a Democratic proposal, which calls for many of the changes and would hold the police liable for damages in trials. There are similarities on some issues, lawmakers say, but also big differences.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. and top Democrats said they would oppose the Republican bill as “not salvageable,” as they call for negotiations on a new bipartisan package with broader changes in government tactics. law enforcement and liability aligned with your own Democratic bill.
Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly and Marisa Schultz contributed to this report, as well as The Associated Press.
