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 more important than change and grade lock more important gridlock more important than solutions. Surely democrats want Police Reform. I hope democrats will vote in favor of opening debate on the justice act. George floyd and countless others so murdered deserve the senates action and consideration of this bill. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell madam president . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell two weeks ago i argued that civil discourse in america faces a crossroads. Major newspaper had buckled under pressure from a social media mob. They apologized profusely for publishing a policy argument from a u. S. Senator and made personnel changes to prove their penance. He said we could recommit to our tradition of seasoned 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 taste for pulling down statues, major newspapers and plead ya figures and media figures literally mopped that concern. They said there were obvious differences between rebel generallies generallies generals and the 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, o gon, a mob oregon, a mob graffitid a statue of our first president. Pulled it down and burned an American Flag over his head. This is george washington. Another Washington Statue was defaced in baltimore, a statue of Thomas Jefferson was ripped down in portland also. This is the general and first president who built our nation and the author of the declaration of independence. Genius statesmen who helped begin it grand experiment thats brought freedom to hundreds of millions and saved the world a few times for good measure. And then a crazy trend is treating their monuments like vanity strat uses of ten horn tyrants. Our Founding Fathers are being roped to the ground like they were saddam hussein. The list goes on. St. Unifer osara, the missionary settler whom pope francis celebrated here in washington a few years ago to bipartisan applause. He sided with native people over soldiers. Ulysses s. Grant, the general who crushed the confederacy. The president who used federal force to fight the klan. They, too, have been placed on the historical hit list for the new red guard that nobody elected. Mormonments toppled more monuments toppled up and down the west coast. But, madam president , there could be no clearer sign take these farleft radicals have severed any connection to a righteous cause of racial justice. Theyve literally tried to succeed where robert e. Lee failed and bring general grant to the ground. Now like any cultural revolution, this farleft anger is sparing some heroes of their own. I understand that in seattle a large statue of vladimir lenan stands quite untouched. Apparently people claim with a straight face that this communist statue 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 strategies but our own Founding Fathers are dragged in the dirt. A small slice of our National Elite has spent years cooking up highfalutin theories to justify the cheapest basic forms of antiamericanism. The absurd claim that americas deepest founding principle is bigotry has escaped the ivory tower and begun seeping into society. The United States of america can and should have nuance conversations about our complex past. We can and should have discussions about our future. We can and should have peaceful protests. But this lawlessness serves none of that. Its just an alliance of convenience between angry criminals who think its fun to wreak havoc and a slice of elite society that profits off saying our country is evil and deserves the abuse. Enough, madam president. Enough. The vast majority of americans know full well that imperfect heroes are still heroes, that our imPerfect Union is still the greatest nation in world history. Americans know our imperfect framers built on a nation on moral truths that have 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 that Law Enforcement and local authorities may not do their jobs selectively. If equal protection of the laws means anything, it means mayors and governors cannot selectively stand down because theyd rather not pay the political price for confronting a particular mob. But thats precisely what we are seeing in democraticgoverned cities all across our country. In seattle for weeks now a mayor has let bands of people ban 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 law breakers politics. Here in washington last night local police protected one monument from a memorialhunting 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 the peace and the rule of law that all of our citizens deserve. Its no surprise that people who want to say our country is intrinsically evil are so frantic to erase history that theyll break the law to do it. Erasing history is the only way their claims could carry any water. Americans know that an imperfect nation built by imperfect heros is still the most Perfect Union the world has ever seen. Were proud to build statues of the geniuses who fought to found this country. Were proud to build statues to the leaders who preserved it. Were proud to build statues of prophetic civil rights leaders who made the country confront gross injustice. We thank god that all kinds of imperfect people have made us a more Perfect Union. And 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 , on a totally different matter, last week senator scott of South Carolina and a group of our colleagues rolled out the justice act, a serious set of proposals to move the ball for Police Reform across the country. Of this legislation identifies a number of smart levers that congress can pull to advance and encourage smart reforms of Law Enforcement without steamrolling states and localities constitutional powers. It would step up transparency in reporting and recordkeeping. It could expand accountability and disciplinary measures needed to establish and restore community trust. It would directly address issues such as choke holds and noknock warrants that have been this the news lately for reasons nobody believes are acceptable. These are the subjects which the country needs us to address. Accordingly, these are the subjects senator scotts proposal does address. The American People expect us to do our jobs, discuss debate and legislate on this subject that has captured the nations attention. Discussion, debate, votes on amendments. Tomorrow well 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 wed 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 the junior senator from South Carolina actually published something concrete, their tune 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 kill 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. Were ready to make a law, not just make a point. Tomorrow well find out whether our democratic colleagues share our ambition or whether they choose to duck the issue and leave the country in the objection. Mr. Cornyn over the last several weeks, americans have marched, protested, and demanded justice for george floyd. Not just for george floyd floydt Breonna Taylor and a list of individuals who have been unfortunately killed while in police custody. While the Energy Behind this movement is notew