In the United States of america, people get to protest. In our country, people also get to worship. As i explained yesterday, local officials cannot selectively enforce Health Restrictions to privilege some First Amendment gatherings. Over others. If mayors are posing for photographs and massive demonstrations, theres no reason to have a small careful Church Services should stay band. These are formal, constitutional questions. But our American Culture open debate is not only threatened from the top down by the government, can also dry up from beneath. If we are to maintain the civic discourse is made is great, american citizens and american institutions need to wanted. In the last several years, the New York Times has published things from the foreign and is run around. And then later of the muslim brotherhood. Then published an essay arguing for greater normalization of pedophilia. As far as i know, none of those decisions are public revolts from the papers, hammering apology and apologies from the editors. Or overhaul. Presumably it was understood that pushing the envelope and airing disagreements are necessary and free market. The free market of ideas. But one week ago, the great betty, finally met her match. Vladimir putin, no problem. Iranian propaganda, sure. But nothing could have prepared them for 800 words from the junior senator from arkansas. He wrote explaining a position which one survey found 50 percent of americans agreed with. He argued that leadership in several cities have proven data cannot avoid not stop the riots. Still present trump should use federal troops to secure the peace and several president s have in our history. His view was controversial, no question. Theres also no question it was a legitimate view for a senator to express. Losing and arson were crippling cities nightly. Looters. Some were sacrificing their Small Businesses to piece the mob prayed in chicago, we have since learned that they were literally crying and pleading with her democratic mayor to do something they said. So, the United States senator rose about it. And immediately, as i did was met with strong criticism. That ought to be par for the course in a free and open society. Speech begets speech. Arguments beget counter arguments. We discussed and debate as fellow citizens. Thats not quite what happened. Instead of trying to win the argument, the harlot tried to end the discussion. But now we all know the routine. We have seen this movie before. Actually to rebut speech, the far left said to try to silence the speaker for the mixture of misrepresentation, sanctimonious moralizing and bizarre emotional words that nobody else could have understood the question. Asthe silence and topic has escaped from the average hour and is spreading throughout american life. This sounds like a major between a therapy session and universities hr department. So sure enough, instead of attempting to defeat senator cottens ideas, left set out to ban him, demand him from society. Some New York Times employees flooded social media to claim their bosses had risked reporters physical safety with a senators scary words. Outside left, the paper for airing the argument. The times itself began lying about senator cotten said. The pavers on twitter account as claimed he called for a crackdown on peaceful protest. When he distinguished them, from violent writers. Known opinion writer called his view fascist. In claiming an upside the boundless a legitimate debate. Remember this is a sitting senator discussing a proposition that have majority support from the american people. Discussing power that congress and the president 213 years ago and wish presence in the past have exercised. All but the facts cannot hold a candle with hard feelings. Hurt feelings. The New York Times said previously by making people confront and different viewpoints. It hurt their feelings. By making them confront a different viewpoint. They had to atone. So the dust settles, the Senior Editor was gone and his deputy reassigned. The piece was holdout of the print edition and wandering multi paragraph apology now precedes it online. We are talking about the New York Times. Understand the new editors made it clear that the staff should notify her immediately if any publisher opinion makes them unconquerableunconquerable. One of our papers newspapers just had his intellectual independence chose writing the mob and they folded like a house of cards. They folded. A jury of people on twitter indicted them as accessories to a thought crime. Instead of telling them to go take a hike, the paper pleaded guilty and begged for mercy. Their readers comfortable level. It was re inflated. Theyre safe space. Forin pacifica. Now are calling from arkansas has a new j job. The far left cannot write angry emails to a publisher. Or getting fired, he cannot be silenced by professions of outrage. For the use of magic words like problematic. His bosses are his constituents. Banning heretics from the public square, will be poisoned for this country if it persists. Our republic will can survive a pandemic, it can survive civil unrest. What ideas and deliberation are our very foundation. America cannot be america if civil disagreement becomes a contradiction in terms. The liberal tradition this country used toun pride itself n beingf broadminded. But we spent years watching Major University slowly exchange debate or uniformity and river for psychological comfort. Now i see the free press repeating that error. So matter president , lets hope we look back on this is a silly anomaly. And anna said turning point. For our democracy. Now madam president , yesterday the fountain of praise church in houston, texas. Funeral service in the life of george floyd his death moved hundreds of thousands of people across america and around the world to peacefully march against police violence. Today his brother, will testify in front ofit the house judiciay committee. It is hard to imagine the courage it takes so soon after the tragic offal and brutal loss of a Family Member to not only grieve in a National Spotlight but to turn that pain into action. There have been many reasons for americans to meet shocked and outraged, angry frustrated with the injustice theyve seen in the country. Butee the entire floyd family is given the nation reason to hope. No democrats in the house and senate have proposed legislation that would directly respond to the issues of racial bias and Excessive Force in her Police Departments rated injustice in placing act would ban the use of chokehold,im limit the transfer military, to local apartment de. Making easier to make the Police Accountable in his performs to help prevent the misconduct in the first place. It is a comprehensive proposal. In many of the experts on racism discrimination and inequality in tmPolice Departments, have had large input into the bill. So we need action on the justice and policing act as soon as possible. And we democrats in the senate, will work like heck to make it happen. In the moment, because her bald and broad scaled change. We need wholesale reforms, not piecemeal reforms. We cannot approach this debate by cherry picking one or two performreforms and call his job complete. This are worried that the Republican Police tinted to do. We need a strong bill. For the justice in placing act is where we should begin. The senate is a collaborative institution. At least by design. But there is one person alone who decides what legislation reaches the floor. That is leader mcconnell. For twoim weeks, i have asked hm to commit to debate and about. On a Police Reform bill by july 4th. An open debate. And certainly an ability to vote on the justice and policing act. Still not received an answer. Is it too much to ask that is hundreds of thousands if not millions are the streets when the vast majority of americans think we need reform. Test the leader spend some more time here. So we can debate this issue and maybe move forward for the first time in a long time. I dont think so. But our leader is silent. Missing in action. As he is on so many different majoraf issues that face americ. After house and Senate Democrats released the draft legislation on monday, yesterday, Senate Republicans announced they would put together a working group to prepare their own set of proposals working groups are all fine and well. But it is critical that we pursue comprehensive reforms. Not seek the lowest common denominator. And it is critical that we get a real commitments to consider strong legislation on the floor. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of other recent moments of national strife, jiggly the mass shootings, President Trump and leader mcconnell and Senate Republicans made the right noises, the study is. Lets consider it. Butmi never follow through. Leader mcconnell once promised that a debate on expanding background checks would be front and center on the senate floor after shootings in dayton and el paso. We cannot, we cannot fail to pass something he said. And yes, there was no debate on expanding background checks in the republican majority in the senate did exactly what leader mcconnell said that he couldot t. And failed to pass anything on gun safety. So i Welcome Ideas from our republican colleagues. We needed a hard and fast commitment from the republican leader to put real broad scale Police Reform on the senate floor before my fourth. Americans must be watching the senate. Watch the leader, watch the republicans. It will be another situation just like with gun control, just like with background checks where they talked a good game and trying to let the issue fade away. Indent d nothing. Theio nation will not let this issue fade away. I assure my republican friends. I asked that the quorum be ended. Were not informed quorum. As everybody knows, our country today faces an extraordinary set of