Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate Sens. Grassley McConnell On Police Reform 20240712

And that will go back to the start of the senate today with remarks and i was Chuck Grassley Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell both of them talked about Police Reform efforts. This is just shy of 15 minutes. We are taking a very important vote tomorrow on a bill called the justice act. Im proud to cosponsor this Police Reform bill and also applaud senator tim scott for his leadership in improving police accountability, while at the same time preserving the essential service that Law Enforcement provides. These are the people that maintain the peace in the respective communities around the united states. Now were ready to work with democrats on Police Reform. I hope the democrats finally are willing to come to the table. A successful vote to proceed to the justice act speaks volumes. A vote against proceeding shows the American People that politics are more important than people. Talking points are more important than change, and gridlock more important than solutions. Surely democrats want Police Reform. I hopeem the democrats will vote in favor of opening debate on the justice act. George floyd, and countless others deserve this in its action in consideration of this bill. I yield the floor. Majority leader. Two weeks ago i i argued tht civil discourse in america faces a crossroads. Major newspaper had buckled under pressure of social media mob. They apologize profusely for publishing a policy argument from a u. S. Senator, and make personnel changes to prove their penitence. I said we could either recommit to our tradition of the season debate, or let an angry mob run our culture. Well, recent days have reminded us its not just our present day debates that far left radicals want to overwhelm. They also want to rewrite the past. Back in 2017 when people wondered whether our important conversations over confederate monuments would give the far left a broader case for pulling down statues. Major newspapers and media figures literally mobbed that concern. They said there were obvious differences between rebel generals and our nations founders. They said nobody would come gunning for washington or jefferson. Well, the far left missed the memo. A few days ago in portland, oregon, a mob graffitied a statute of our first president. Pulled d it down and burned an American Flag overth his head. This is george washington. Another Washington Statue was defaced in baltimore, a a state of Thomas Jefferson was ripped down in portland also. This is the general and first president who build our nation, and the author of the declaration of independence. Genius statesman who helped begin this grand experiment that have brought freedom to hundreds of millions, and saved the world a few times for good measure. And a crazy fringe is ten hard tyrants. Our Founding Fathers are being wrote to the ground like they were saddam hussein. The list goes on. The missionary settlor whom pope francis celebrator here in washington a few years ago, with bipartisan applause, he sided with native people over soldiers. Ulysses s. Grant, the generalo who crushed the confederacy, the president to use federal force to fight the klan. They, too, have been placed on the historical fitness for this new red guard that nobody elected. Four monuments toppled up and down the west coast. Well, madam president , there could be no clear sign that these radicals have severed any connection to the righteous cause of racial justice. They literally try to succeed were robert east of the failed and general grant to the ground. Robert e. Lee failed. Like any revolution this far left and is sparing some heroes of their own. I understand that in seattle a large statue of Vladimir Lenin stands quite untouched. Apparently, people claim with a straight face this common statute has survived because it is located wait for it on private property. So the founding father of the mass murdering soviet union watches over seattle streets, but our own Founding Fathers are dragged in the dirt. A small sleight of our nationally hashi spent years to justify the cheapest, baseless forms of antiamericanism. The absurd claim that americas deepest outing principal is a bigotry has escaped the ivory tower and begun seeping into society. United states of america can and should have nuanced conversations about our complex past. We can and should have discussions about our future. We can ande should have peaceful protests. But this lawlessness serves none of that. It is just an alliance of convenience between angry criminals who think its fun to wreak havoc, and a slice of elite society that profits evil andr country is deserves the abuse. Enough, madam president , enough. The vast majority of americans know full well that in perfect heroes are still heroes. That are in perfect unity is still the greatest nation in world history. Americans know our imperfect framers built on a nation on moral truths that a fueled improvement beyond anything their generation could have built themselves. The American People know this. They also know that we cannot let angry mobs carrying rope act outside the rule of law. It was central to the 14th amendment and the Civil Rights Movement Law Enforcement and local authorities may not do their jobs selectively. If equal protection of the law means anything, it means mayors andno governors cannot selectivy stand down because they would rather not play the pay the political price for confronting a particular mob. But thats precisely what we are seeing in democratic governed cities all across our country. In seattle, for weeks now a mayor has led bands of people and police from several square blocks. People have been shot. A teenager has died. But apparently stopping this insanity has been deemed less politically correct than letting it continue. Night after night, governors and mayors have stood down and watched criminals spray paint churches and topple statues. Public order is now totally optional. And depends on the record of politics. Here in washington last night local police protected one the monument from the memorial hunting mob over near the white house. Look, it is past time for that courage to be replicated in every city, every night until americans have peace and the rule of law that all of our citizens deserve. Its no surprise that people who want to saysi our country is intrinsically evil are so frantic to erase history that they will break the law to do it. Erasing history is on the way there claims could carry any water. Americans know that an imperfect nation built by emperor vote heroes is still the most Perfect Union the world has ever seen. We are proud to build statues of the geniuses who fought to found this country. We are proud to build statues to the leaders who preserved it. We are proud to build statues of civil rights leaders have made the country face gross injustice. We think a guy that all of imperfect people have made us a more Perfect Union. And when the dust we thank god when the dust settles it is never, never the mobs or bullies whom we honor. It is the brave leaders who confront them. Now, madam president come on a totally different matter, last week senator scott of South Carolina and a group of our colleagues rolled out the justice act, as series set of proposals to movem the ball frr Police Reform across the country. This legislation identifies a number of smart levers that congress can pullma to advance d encourage smart reforms of Law Enforcement without steamrolling states and localities constitutional powers. It would step up transparency in reporting and recordkeeping. It would expand accountability and disciplinary measures needed to establish and restore community trust. It would to directly address issues such as chuckles and noknock warrants which a been in the news lately for reasons that nobody believes are acceptable. Un these are the subjects which the country needs us to address. Accordingly, these are the subjects senator scott proposal does address. The American People expect us to do our jobs, discuss, debate and legislate on the subject that is captured the nations attention. Discussion, debate, votes on amendments. Tomorrow we will find out whether even these modest steps are a bridge too far for our colleagues on the democratic side. Earlier this month Senate Democrats were telling everyone who would listen that we would be derelict in our duty if we did not have Police Reform legislation on the floor of the senate this month. But then as soon as of the junior senator from South Carolina actually publish something concrete, thereto has changed rather sharply. And now suddenly our democratic colleagues have reported an agonizing and debating whether to let the senate have this discussion at all, or whether to killm any chance of reform legislation before it can even taxi onto the runway. The American People deserve better than a partisan stalemate. The American People deserve for the senate to take up this issue at this time. Senate republicans want to have this discussion. We are ready to make a law, not just make a point. Tomorrow we will find it whether or democratic colleagues share our ambition or whether they choose to duck the issue and leave the country in the lurch. The Senate Taking a break to allow lawmakers to attend their weekly party caucus lunch meetings. They are expected back at 2 15 p. M. Eastern for more debate on the nomination of cory wilson to be a judge on the fifth Circuit Court of appeals, final vote is expected tomorrow. We also expect to mark the senate to begin work on senator scott Police Reform bill known as the justice act. President trumps from a National Security adviser john bolton sits down with Washington Post today to talk about his