Transcripts For CSPAN Washington Journal 06262020 20240712

Democrats, 202 7488000. Independents, 202 7488002. You can also send us a text this morning, that number 202 7488003. If you do, please include your name and where you are from. You can also catch up with us on ter at cspanwj m and facebook with facebook. Com cspan. We begin with the scene outside. He capital yesterday this is congresswoman karen bass, chairwoman of the congressional lack caucus and one of the chief sponsors of this legislation. [video clip] 12yearold tamir rice would be alive today if this had past six years ago. It is fitting that today we will legislation. Toric it is sitting because today, june 25, would have been to mayor rices tamir rices 18th birthday. This is a profession that requires highly trained officers that are accountable to the public. Host hours later, the bill was passed in the house. Here is Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the final vote. [video clip] on this vote, the as are 236. The nays are 181. The bill is passed. Objection, the motion to reconsider is raised upon the table. Speak or late last night at the u. S. House of representatives beaker nancy pelosi late last night Speaker Nancy Pelosi late last night at the house of representatives. Congressman brian fitzpatrick, the republican from pennsylvania, congressman will heard, the republican from texas, and congressman fred upton joining all of the House Democrats on the vote last night. President trump in wisconsin, touring a shipbuilding factory yesterday and participated in a town hall hosted by sean hannity of fox news. As we wait an executive order from the president on protecting monuments and statues, President Trump was asked at the town hall what he was doing to give americans back there streets in this country back their streets in this country. Here is what his answer was. [video clip] it is disgraceful what is happening in this country. That being said, the republicans have to be tougher. They want to be tougher it is terrible politically correct it is terrible to Say Something bad. At if you see i stopped last night, i stopped at a number of times, but you will see what is happening. Every night we will get tougher and tougher, at some point there will be retribution because it has to be. If people are vandals, they are terrorists in a sense. And theesident trump fox news town hall yesterday. Returning back to the white house very late yesterday, the president up and tweeting just before midnight. Coronavirus was on his mind. 11 54 p. M. Eastern, coronavirus deaths way down, the president tweeted. Mortality rates the lowest in the world. Our economy is roaring back and will not be shut down. Embers or flareups will be put out as necessary. One of the president s top advisers on the Coronavirus Task force, dr. Anthony fauci, testified before members of the house energy and Commerce Committee. He was asked how prepared the United States is further a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what he had to say. [video clip] there are a lot of things that can be done. We know what the failings were early on a lack of enough ppe, enough n95s. Issues, ventilator issues that is being stored up in the Strategic National stockpile in preparation for what we hope never occurs, but very well might occur. Also, as theation admiral mentioned, as we go into the fall, we will likely have the capability of doing 40 million to 50 million tests per month, meaning we can get a much better grasp of what the situation is, of the dynamics of the virus in the community. So hopefully we will be much better prepared if we do get this second surge. Ont dr. Anthony fauci capitol hill earlier this week. If you want to watch his testimony and other top officials on the president s you canrus task force, do so on our website at cspan. Org. According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus dashboard, used often amid this pandemic, the latest numbers in the United States, more than 124,000 deaths due to coronavirus. Some new numbers yesterday out of the cdc would it comes to infections when it comes to infections in the United States. The number of people in the u. S. Who have been infected with coronavirus likely to be 10 times as high as the 2. 4 million based on cases antibody tests, according to the centers for Disease Control and prevention. Robert redfield shared an estimate with reporters in a Conference Call that at least 24 million americans have been infected so far. Redfield says he believes 5 to 8 of the u. S. Population has been infected so far. These are just some of the stories amid a very busy hill andaround capitol the country. We are asking you in this first segment of the washington journal today, what is your top story of the week and what you are most interested in. Epublicans, 202 7488001 democrats, 202 7488000. Independents, 202 7488002. Up first out of pennsylvania, a democrat. Good morning. Caller are you going to mention the ambush in michigan yesterday, the cops and people sitting around shooting at the cop car . What about tampa . Huh . Host the president talking about concerns about our streets, that question going to taking back our streets. What is happening in pennsylvania in your area . What are you seeing . How concerned are you about that . Caller our cops are good here. Do you know what i see around heads of a new . Impeach nancy pelosi signs all over around pennsylvania . Impeach its the pelosi signs all over impeach nancy pelosi signs all over. Million people are dead from coronavirus. The guy is a fraud. Host this is jim in grand forks, north dakota. Youre next. Caller can you hear me ok . Host yes or, go ahead. Caller three things, john. [inaudible] make a mess and see what sticks. Something terms out to be a fraud turns out to be a fraud, they forget about it. Bubba wallace the socalled black dude [inaudible] in america, you become a star by being the victim. [inaudible] and talking about the issue of , blackfloyd you know lives dont matter well, black lives matter. One guy died and they burn down the city. You can probably find 10 to 100 people victims of black on white crime. Host what stats would you point to for that . Caller whats that . Host what steps do you. 2 for that . Caller [inaudible] every year on average, the majority of the violence is black on white, meaning exactly what it is. Pointed out the highlevel of black on asian crime, black on mexican we do not talk about this. You had 70 million arrests in 2019. 17 Million People arrested. 1004 were shot and killed by cops in a country of 330 million. That is unbelievable. Host do you think we need any Police Reform in this country right now . Caller yes, but just a second 17,000 blacks were killed by other blacks [inaudible] 17 freaking thousand. , 280e 1004 People Killed were black. Most men killed by cops were white. You had about 10 blacks killed by cops that were unarmed. Are pointing to fbi crime stats you are saying on this . Caller yes. [inaudible] he knows better than that. Tell a white liberal to go hang out in south of chicago. Before george floyd, we had [inaudible] face people do not want to their pathological behavior. Host all right, that your point. That is jim in north dakota. Next, out of louisiana. Good morning. Independent. Caller good morning. Host go ahead, daniel. Caller my question is, which nobody wants to talk about, is a thing called geoengineering. Chem trails. Climate engineering. Weather warfare. Host we are talking about the top news story of this week. Has there been a development on that front this week . Caller this should be the top news story of the week. That is what i am saying. It is like the biggest story that nobody is talking about. Host we will stick to the new s headlines in the paper. We want to give you a chance if you did not get in earlier this week, if there is a topic we can talk about in the news or capitol hill this week, the phone lines are open to do it. Karen in indiana, a republican. Good morning. Karen, you are with us. Caller yes i am. Host go ahead. Caller we understand the layers of the obama and biden and clinton era and would like o see more, more come ut as far as the doj investigating into the layers of espionage against trump and anyone who did not deal with the democratic set up as far as obama care. We would like more investigations. We are fed up with the fighting in the streets and taking over our cities. Mayors and governors have sworn an oath to protect their citizens. Those of us are being laid aside those oaths are being laid aside for certain constituents own direction they want to take the country. Police reform needs to be done. People need more help as far as correcting what is wrong, to squash crime. But the violence has got to stop. The general public is set is fed up. The coming up in the future due to this, and we will protect america and the constitution. In indiana. You mentioned obamacare, the Affordable Care act, a pretty Major Development yesterday on that front in the form of a new filing at the Supreme Court from the Trump Administration. The Trump Administration late last night urging the Supreme Court to strike down obamacare, pushing forward with its attack newly Health Care Law as jobless americans might become dependent on its coverage. In a new legal brief, arguing that the entire upper obamacare of obamacare became invalid the previous Republicanled Congress asked the unpopular mandate penalty for uninsured people. Filing comes weeks after President Donald Trump confirmed his administration would continue to press for obamacares elimination, and pouring warnings from top aides about the risk of voter backlash in november. That coming in the same week that House Democrats in veiled in new bill to tweak the Affordable Care act, so plenty more to watch on that front. The filing from the Supreme Court coming at the end of this term. We are waiting for about a dozen thes to be handed down by Supreme Court. Expectations that the term likely will stretch into july, the Supreme Court usually ending its term by the end of june, but with so many cases yet to be decided or handed down, likely the decision days will stretch into the coming weeks. Next, truth or consequences, new mexico, democrat. Good morning. Caller good morning. I would like to speak about definitions. Was watching trump and marionette, wisconsin it means puppet where they build what if you listen to he says, it seems like there are two versions of trump out there. There is what is called targeted marketing. That is where you sell something, but in order to sell something you want to target your market, so you can target it with positive messages or negative messages. You listen to trump when he goes rallies,pporters, his he is a completely different person when he goes to places where he doesnt like the populace. Hes very negative. You look at the response that he gets, and its what he is spreading. Spreads negativity or positivity, and you have to target your market. Now, he went to marionette, wisconsin, where they make the navy. Owntates there, in his words, that hes got an issue with democrats. Dislikes you know you just have to listen to what he says. Hesays plain and clear what is doing. You have to watch where he is going and what the effects are after he leaves. It is to our detriment that we believe him when he says one thing, and that we believe him when he says another thing. We need to open our eyes, we need to listen, we need to be very clear in what we do and the choices that we make, because isn you believe a liar who using targeted marketing and saying one thing to one group and one thing to another, it is not clear. Host for more from the president , as we said, he participated in a town hall of that with sean hannity of fox event withn hall hannitynity of sean of fox news. Heres the discussion about flareups of coronavirus in this country, and here is the president. [video clip] the greatest cases because we do them most testing. If we did not test, we would have no cases. Haveyou do 30 million, you a kid with the sniffles and they say it is coronavirus, whatever you want to college, i said the other night, there are so many names to this. You could say things like this, there has never been a thing like this. We have done 30 million almost we will be there today 30 million tests. But the deaths have been way, way down and our mortality rate is among the best countries in the world, meaning people that die, because a lot of cases, that case the kid does not even know. In some cases, it is people that did not even know they were sick. Maybe they were not, but it shows up in a test. 30 million tests, you have a big percentage of that, but other countries do very few test, so fewhows there are very cases. Sometimes i jokingly or sarcastically say, if we did not do tests, we would look great. Host President Trump last night at the fox news town hall. Your topking you what news story of this past week was. Let us know what you think or send us a tweet or text message, like jeffrey did out of georgia, saying as a georgian, the story of the week is that the General Assembly here passed a hate crimes bill. The sad reality is that it took the death of Ahmaud Arbery and george floyd to get that bill passed. We are waiting for the governor to sign it. Rob in new york city, democrat. What do you think the top story of the week was . Caller what i wrote down for the top story and i just had a thought in my head for some reason, that trump is always bragging he takes a dollar a year salary, but warren buffett, i believe, has given away 90 of his total assets. Given away 90 of his total bill andrgely to the Melinda Gates foundation. So it is ridiculous to brag about giving, taking a dollar a is, 1. 75,the salary , it is nothing. Warren buffett has given away 90 billion or something but with the coronavirus becoming, theing seemingly now, hospitals are near capacity and many southern states, Many Republican state, and it is becoming a crisis. It occurred to me that our president is not really capable of doing the work as president. I think his brain is not wired for doing the work. His brain is more wired for making up falsehoods, and i think he takes the easy way out. I think he is a master at pretending that he can do the work, but he cant do the work. Its a big stage act. I think it is a big tv reality show. Host do you think the president s task force can do the work cap do you trust dr. Redfield the work . Do you trust dr. Redfield, dr. Fauci . How do you think president has handled the coronavirus pandemic when it comes to the people he has appointed to these positions . Know, i like dr. Fauci but he does not speak simply and directly to the American People. It is always like a double sort , soeaning to please trump it is frustrating. You hear people on some of the other stations i had a republican friend of mine, a dear friend of mine who said to me recently and a phone conversation that he doesnt hear anything on the tv anymore about the coronavirus. And i realized, you glued to fox television. I said to my friend, you know, you really ought to turn on cnn for a half hour, on our. It is amazing, the lopsided nest. If you allow me one more pic thing, i am an experienced insurance investigator and i ink for close to 40 years new york city. Im a liberal, propolice democrat. About liberal democrats being against police, i am propolice i have had friends on the force. In my investigations, there are a lot of x Police Officers and oddly, exconvicts who work as bouncers in bars and clubs throughout new york city, and i have been the liability toestigator for decades, come in and find out after there is an incident at this might often the case that some of the liability, some of the five that i have investigated over the years has been the result of the tempers out of control on the part of the bouncers, which again, there are x cops and that work sidebyside sometimes in the same close. That is why i think george floyd name, sorry, i forgot the the fellow i believe they worked in the same club. Im sure they knew each other, and im sure there was some tension there. I have coached bouncers , that ex cops and excons your job is not necessarily to stand at the front door of the bar and check the ideas of the pretty girls or whatever that is not the job. The job is not to do the light stuff. I cannot tell you how many people have responded to me and told me, i have never been told this before, but what i told them, your job begins when the clients, when the customers, when the tensions rise from alcohol or whatever, your job is to come in and calm the people a drunko become customer might use the nword, might go crazy on the bouncer. Theres been countless times, investigations that ive had, again, close to 40 years feel like the training is there or not there when it comes to the escalation tactics to deescalation tactics . Caller i have told dozens of people when i have the time, sometimes i am doing is a slip and fall accident, sometimes i am talking to a bouncer who kept his cool, sometimes it could be a next cop excop, could be an excon, when the customer gets in your face and starts to go crazy on you, oftentimes it is just verbal stuff that can be deescalate it. City thisin new york morning. Rob started talking about the coronavirus and the President Task force. More fromittle bit that hearing earlier this week, dr. Anthony fauci on where we are, where he thinks we are going to be on the development of a vaccine for a coronavirus. [video clip] ofif you look at the history viral diseases, it is generally vaccines that put the nail in the coffin of these types. We are now mounting a major effort in which we are collaborating with industry and publicprivate partnerships to get vaccine trials that are developed and harmonize with each other. In other words, they have multiple trials in which we have common questions that are being asked, laboratories that are being looked at, common data and ing monitor and boards safety and monitoring boards so the data can be prepared from one to another. You have probably heard there are more than one vaccines, there are several moving along at various paces. One of them will enter phase three study in july. This is one that has already shown in preliminary studies some very favorable response in the animal models that were developed. There will be others that will follow in one month, two months, three months later. Although you can never guarantee at all the safety and efficacy of a vaccine until you actually tested in the field, we feel cautiously optimistic, based on the concerted effort and the fact that we are taking toancial risks, not risks safety, not risks to the integrity of the science, but Financial Risks to be able to be ahead of the game so that when and i believe it will be when and not if we get favorable candidates with good results, we will be able to make them available to the American Public , as i said to this committee months ago, within a year from when we started, which would put us at the end of this calendar year and the beginning of 2021. Dr. Anthony fauci before the house energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month. We are asking you what your top news story of this past week was, split up my usual republicans, democrats, lines. A newphone set of polls out from the New York Times, and their work with siena college, taking a look at six key battleground states. Wisconsin, pennsylvania, florida, arizona, and north carolina, battlegrounds for the 2020 election. A wrap of how voters in those states feel about President Trumps handling of various to thewhen it comes coronavirus, just 21 of voters say they approve of President Trumps handling. 56 percent say they approve of his handling of the economy, 40 approving of his handling of the middle justice. 34 approving the president handling on Race Relations in this country, and 31 approving of the president s handling of the george floyd protests. Plenty of numbers from that poll. The bottom line, according to the lead paragraph, President Trump has lost significant ground in six battleground states that clinched his Electoral College victory in 2016, according to those new surveys, with joe biden opening up doubledigit leads in michigan, pennsylvania and wisconsin. If you want to read more of nick cohensory nate story, it is in the New York Times. Our next caller, good morning. Caller there are a few things i want to run down very quickly. President trumps proclamation on suspending immigration, the visas that he did. In that executive order, he specifically mentions that these visas disproportionately affect africanamericans. Sayingyone who keeps that President Trump dont care about black people or President Trump aint done nothing for black people, that is his second executive order that he has immigrationending to help lack people get jobs black people get jobs. While you have all these people burning down their communities, looting, vandalizing, tearing down history, tearing down statues, statues of Lincoln Holding the emancipation proclamation while you are doing all of that, president donald j. Trump is actually helping to protect jobs for black people. Furthermore, all of these incidents regarding police and black men, nobody talks about the responsibility of a United States citizen to preserve their constitutional rights, respect officers, do not resist you have absolutely positively no right to resist arrest. Resisting arrest as a defense in court, meaning you cannot say well, i thought valid, sorest was not i was resisting no, you dont have the right to resist arrest. You bring up,opic did you get a chance to watch senator tim scott, the republican of south carolina, on the senate floor after not enough democrats joined his Police Reform bill that he was trying to move in the senate this week. Caller yeah, i saw that speech that senator tim scott gave concerning all the cities that are ran by democrats that have been ran by democrats for decades and decades and decades, and they havent done a single on addressing any of these issues that they are so concerned about. The last thing i want to say about this Police Misconduct as well as prosecutor misconduct there is something that we can do as a country, and that is to requirement that was inserted by the Supreme Court, toch requires individuals overturn their convictions if they find out that they are actually isthere valid police are prosecutor misconduct. 1983, under the old ku klux klan act of 1871, written by Ohio Republican samuel sollenberger. T have to be Humphrey Humphrey that bars any prosecutor misconduct, that needs to be removed and allow claims to be litigated in court. If someone has done something wrong, it will be protected under the reasonable standard in Federal District court and not while they are being arrested, detained, or apprehended. Host christian in phoenix, arizona. Back to the senator tim scott speech on the senate floor, after his resolution was blocked from Going Forward from debate being allowed on it, that speech getting a lot of attention. Here is the last minute or 30 seconds last minute and 30 seconds or so of that speech. [video clip] i do not know what it is going to take to wake up. The entire nation. About the importance of a duopoly and not a monopoly. Because look at your results. Look at the results you are getting. By the way, when this bill is gone and next week we are on the dod or something else, we will forget about this. We will move on. People will forget about it. You know whats going to happen . Something bad. We will be right back here, talking about what should have been done, what could have been done, why we must act now we would had this conversation five years ago. I have having this conversation right now. You know, here is the truth. Detroit, atlanta, minneapolis, los angeles, philadelphia, all these cities could have banned chokehold themselves. They could have increased the Police Reporting themselves. They could have had more Data Information themselves and had deescalation training themselves. They could have intervened themselves. All these communities have been run by democrats for decades. Decades. For the poorest people in this nation and i a lead Political Class with billions of dollars to do whatever they want to do, and look at the results of the poorest, most honorable people in our nation most Vulnerable People in our nation. Senator tim scott, republican of south carolina, on the senate floor this week. Benson is next out of brooklyn, new york. What is your top news story of the week . Vincent, are you with us . Phone. Y your kelly in jackson, mississippi, independent. You are next. Caller im actually in michigan. Host oh, jackson, michigan. Go ahead. Mi is michigan. Week ismy story of the the one they are talking about all over, which is he doesnt want to be president for another four years, because they think of what he is doing and how he is acting, he is acting like he does not want to be. I saw him getting off air force one the other night looking like someone had beat him down i started laughing i said now, there is a man whos got a problem. He looks terrible. He does not really have the intelligence level to run a country. He cannot even run his own businesses. You have seen what has happened to his own businesses. The man from north dakota, he said a guy gets killed and people burn down the city really . Is that how you look at it . You need to look a little further, because it is not like that. Host go ahead and finish your comments, kelly. Caller my city is a small city and they have put black lives matter everywhere. On the ground, on the streets, on signs everywhere. Not like graffiti, they have painted it on things. This city is trying to understand its diversity. They are at least giving it a shot. Week,as my story of the that he does not want to be president for four more years. I cannot believe that that would be true, but every time they say what he is doing, its teams like it is true. Host in michigan this morning on President Trump. Conservative board of the wall street journal, the trump referendum is the headline on it, saying that President Trump still has no second term message beyond his own grievances. The Editorial Board writing, President Trump refuses to acknowledge what every poll now says is true his Approval Rating has fallen to the 40 or below that is george h. W. Bush and jimmy carter territory. They say he wasted his chance to show leadership by turning his daily pandemic pressers into brawls with the bearbaiting press and any politician who did not praise him to the skies. Lately he has all but given up talking about the pandemic which might offer realism and hope about the road ahead, even as the country reopens. His default now is defensive, self congratulations. More from the wall street journal Editorial Boards today. Ohio, republican. Youre next. Good morning. Caller thanks for taking my call. Talking about removing all the monuments and statues, i think we need to start by dismantling anything that had to do with slavery and the kkk. You think they would start with the democrat party, since that is the party of slavery and the kkk. Fromwas a great call christian in arizona. That is all i have to say. Thanks a lot. Host joe, good morning. Caller good morning. Can you hear me . Host yes sir. Caller the biggest story for sure is corona, but if i can reflect for a bit, this showing of fear, disinformation, all politicized the three questions we have, how was this actually release, who was involved in it, and what are we doing to prevent it from ever happening again . We were lied to by our experts for months that it came from a wet market, then it was the lab outside of town, north of the exercise, no one had the straight story and that is absolutely important. These people have drawers full of this stuff. It could be the first wave, because they have 100 other ones they are going to release and it is proved to me that we have a completely corrupt media. I love cspan, but you are complicit in it. You dont show his rallies for five years until one time when it is not packed, then you show it all day long. You, wee, i promise have been showing the president s rallies, and the way we work around here is we show things in their entirety so you can make the decision for yourself. If you go back, you can watch his rallies, going back for the five years you are talking about. Caller you can watch a zoom of his face. You do not fairly cover the experience of a 30,000 people cheering for peace and prosperity and and these stupid wars for globalists and the deception that is going on this tragic. The good news here host the way we try to be fair is to show things in your entirety and let you decide for yourself. It is the best way we have come up with to let people make that decision for themselves. You showeah, but if the football game, you would only show the quarterback. No one else on the field. Dont you think the crowd response to our president is relevant . There are 100 cameras there and you use one camera and zoom on him. My main point, the good news is moving forward. That is why the globalists have released this virus and they are trying to make a blackwhite war in our streets, that is why they have people burning down cludinggs, in churches. If we get spy gate, we will see the International Crime syndicate working for years, working to destroy this country, which isgets to 9 11, a false flag that got us to blowup seven countries in five years. Host joe started by talking about the coronavirus. If you want to learn more about the federal response today, we are covering a hearing on that front, the house select subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis holding a hearing today with u. S. Comptroller general genehad reo hadario. Live coverage begins at 10 00 a. M. Eastern. You can watch that on cspan two, as well as cspan. Org, or listen on the free cspan radio app. Anthony fauci of the National Institutes of allergy and Infectious Diseases and dr. Robert redfield of the cdc will be addressing the u. S. In theire of mayors Virtual Meeting today, and our life coverage of that begins at cspan two,stern on cspan. Org, and you can listen on the free cspan radio app. Back to your phone calls, asking for your top news story of the week. Terry, kansas city, missouri, democrat. You are next. Morning. Ood good morning. Trump spoke against mailin voting this week. He said the chinese will print millions of ballots and they will be counted i have an idea how to run an election in a pandemic, and that is, voters arrive to stand in line, you and they an n95 mask are protected against the virus and they voted in person, which puts, stops that thing about the mailin voting. But even bill gates or somebody could get the job done to get those masks constructed. Of course, trump could do it with the defense production act if he used that to get the masks made, but he wont do that. I just hope when we have the election that people will just go ahead and come out and vote, with a mask on we should be able to do it safely. Thingse of the the president has talked about is the federal efforts to ramp up production of ppe in this country. Thatnthony fauci saying one of the reasons to be more optimistic in the future, if and when a second wave comes, is that we are better prepared now when it comes to supplies of ppe and along with other issues fromayed that clip earlier the member of the president s Coronavirus Task force. Preparedink we are not in this country, amid this week where we are seeing new concerns about outbreaks in cities around the country . I know we are in terrible shape as far as the virus just exponentially spreading, but if we can get those n95s to people, that will help so much. Because they filter out 90 of the particles. Terri in missouri, this morning. York, arley, new republican. Good morning. Caller good morning. I would like to say our lives matter. I think it is funny the way they cover it. The marketing slaughtered in chicago. You do not see black lives. Atter there statistics show 70 of africanamericans are born without a father in the home. Percent of industry crimes are caused by blacks between 18 and 31. There are problems in the police force, but why dont we discussed the other issues that come up that way geico that is just my comment. Host how do you think we are doing on Race Relations in this country . Are they getting better, are they getting worse . Caller they are getting worse because they are fanned bytes tv stations, msnbc, when you have a small group of people, blackandwhite, that go out and protest and destroy things that no matter what i think they are using this as a cover. Host peter in new york. A few comments from our text messaging service. This is marion in texas, saying the biggest story in the week into texas is the rise of the coronavirus again. We have up to 2000 in our county, over 6500 new cases yesterday across texas. Please go back to social mask, org, where a lock us down to save lives in america. Erin in massachusetts, saying congress can only enforce Police Reform. The governors of each state has the right of responsibility to banned chokehold, etc. Why is Congress Getting involved . And one viewer wanted me to point out when it came to the senate not taking up tim scotts republican Police Reform bill, that two democrats and an independent joined in to try to move the debate on that issue, senator doug jones and senator , two democrats, and angus king, the independent from maine. Not enough democrats joining in to allow that builds move forward on the floor. Of clarksburg,ut west virginia, an independent. Good morning. Caller good morning. How are you doing . I am all must appear. Understand, the federal government wants to cut back on testing on the virus . We have had some mixed messages on that this week. The president making comments that got a lot of attention at that rally in oklahoma saturday, from anthonyeard fauci and members of the president s Coronavirus Task force on tuesday that they have not been told to cut back on testing, and in fact they are trying to ramp up testing. Caller yeah, that is what i mean. As president of the united dates, you do have a say, ok . The next thing, the aca, the Affordable Care act before the Supreme Court, to cut back on the Affordable Care act at this time. This is crazy. But this is crazy. I mean, it is time, but everything is needed the most. This president wants to do at least. It seems to be hard on the get the people to confusing suggestions not only from the cdc and fauci and everybody else, and the president goes after him the next day and says the opposite. I dont know. Maybe he knows more than they do. I doubt that, but john, you have a good day and god bless you. Host you to the same you do the same. And then south carolina, good morning. Brenda in south carolina, good morning. Caller there are three quick comments i would like to make. This previous caller said about immigration and immigrants, and how it helps the blacks. First of all, the blacks do not want to work in the fields. My children, i have 4 they went to college. They have eight degrees between the four of them. When President Trump went in office, he said he would help the Student Loans. He didnt do nothing about that. They are working two to three jobs and his wife is not going to do it. Graham, theyndsey are not working for me in south carolina. They are working for donald trump. We do not need them. As far as tim scott bill, that unless it is holds necessary. That is not going to work. Anything can deem necessary. That is not going to work. They need to say no choke hold at all. To the previous caller who said a minute ago about the aca, he is right. This pandemic, this thing where going to do right now that nobody knows how to get rid of it, he wants to get rid of obamacare. I dont understand that concept. I just dont. It is crazy. Coming back to your Student Loans comments tommy said the president promised to do that and didnt. Do you think joe biden will help on Student Loans . We lost the caller. Sherry in mississippi, republican. You are next. Caller good morning. I just wanted to comment about the trump campaign. So i vote for him in 2016, am pretty familiar with all of his policies and changes that he has made. But when you listen to him campaign, it is just redundant. He continually reiterates what he has done, which is ok to a number one our issues right now in america are covid19 and the economy. And i think his campaign needs. O be more defined i think he has done the best anybody could do with the , so i really look forward to what he can do for the economy, but i dont think that message is getting through. I also think there is a lot of federalism and in the state going on. Icies i do not think a lot of people understand that we dont want federalism. I do not want a federal police force. I just dont want it. There are many things we need to keep it local. The states need to keep the local, and i just wish they could come across on issues that everybody is concerned about. Im 65. Ive been locked in my home since march. It is tough. I do not have anyone to get my groceries. I dont have a way to get to the doctor. Its bad. They need to do something. Something needs to be done. Go, sherry, you mentioned your concerns with President Trumps campaign and messaging. We pointed out, the wall street journal Editorial Board today with a scathing editorial, having the same concerns about the president s messaging and what hes telling voters. Is there any chance that you would not vote for the president again in 2020, sherry . Mulling itave been around, but the republicans just arent putting up anybody. The republicans are weenies. The democrats to me are bullies and the republicans are weenies. Host so who does one vote for in a choice between bullies and weenies . Caller i think we have to i might just write in my dogs name. I dont know. Im not happy with the situation at all. Biden, always something is not right with the man, but the whole thing he stays in his basement. Trump has daytoday work to do, but he needs to hire some Better Campaign people. This campaign is not working at all. The wall street journal. It is absolutely on the money. Host before you go, what is your dogs name . Caller sophie. Host so if sophie shows up on a valid in mississippi, it might be you . Caller it might be. [laughter] host sherry in mississippi this morning. Taking your calls in the first segment of the washington journal, just to let you know where we are today, we will be leaving you at 9 00 a. M. Because the house is scheduled to come in at 9 00 a. M. Today, the house scheduled to take up the d. C. Statehood bill and legislative work is set to begin right after the morning speeches this morning. Her gavel to gavel coverage, we will be leaving you at 9 00 a. M. We have planned in our 8 00 a. M. Hour to bring you the voices of two members of congress who sit on a house judiciary panel, thats the panel that the george policing act and came through before going to the floor yesterday. Eight 30 joined at this morning by congressman hank johnson, a democrat on that panel. We had planned to be joined by debbie lesko, a republican, but we are working on rescheduling that. At 8 30, we will continue with your phone calls and your ideas about what the top news story of this week was. A busy week, lots to choose from, so keep calling in. Epublicans, 202 7488001 democrats, 202 7488000. Independents, 202 7488002. Sun city, california, youre next. Caller good morning. My issue is with the people that keep calling it and talking about how black people are killing each other in chicago and this black on black crime. I would like to point out that italians during the prohibition were killing each other. The irish were killing each other it is a thing in the community. It is quite different than the police, who have qualified immunity, that are paid to are findinglaw, we out now that in wilmington, north carolina, they are sitting around in the car talking about how they want to go kill the and word people. It is ridiculous to dry to draw some kind of equivalency before that, between those. One more thing for the black guy that called in talking about how trump is protecting black jobs . These people we are not looking at the workers. We need to look at the people who are hiring them. Plantste the meatpacking raid the meatpacking plants to get rid of these people, a panel minor fine, and then six hires later the worker these people. The lady from south carolina, she is right. Who wants to go work in the field or a meatpacking plant . We get an education and things like that. We need to look at this. Trump is not for the people. He is for himself. You, any reasonable, rational person in the middle of oh, we wouldsay not have so many cases if we werent tested. Just think about that, how ridiculous is that statement . Im done. Roy in california this morning. Heres the npr story about it, the Police Department in wilmington has fired three Police Officers after investigators say footage from one of their patrol cars shows them exchanging racist and sometimes threatening remarks, those include one of the officers who was ready for civil war against black people. This is from michelle in oklahoma, pointing to that story as well, saying that is the top news story of the week. These same officers will go out and get jobs in other precincts, kill africanamericans. Says, shows michelle michelle. American, are african america is the land of the free and the brave unless you are africanamerican. Caller hello. I permanently from annapolis. As i looked all these headlines, i feel like a pinball machine. I feel like the pen balls are bouncing from headline to headline. The one that affected me the most was senator scotts bill not advancing in the senate. Thing, when someone like senator angus king, my favorite senator, supports the discussion, that is a meaningful endorsement for me. But also, this was the first bill to start to try to remedy what i think we call implicit racism is going to take a long time. Most of the work will have to be done by individuals within their hearts and minds. But this was a step forward. My concern is that senator scott said this will fade away. This is the kind of social ill that i see within myself, anyway, that is a one day at a time kind of commitment, by the also entailst it progress, not perfection. This was a start that we can build on and rather than rather than have the pedestal there and build on it later than cross my arms and say, phooey, i want the perfect product. Host what do you think of the house bill . Do you think the house bill was a perfect product . A house bill that i should put out Senate Republicans are not expected to take up in the coming weeks and months . Caller i actually like the house bill. Camean ex republican who who left in 2018. I could not take it anymore. I like the house bill. That is where we need to be, unfortunately we need to build the pedestal first. If the best we can do is to get that bill through come you can add those later when the democrats take power. Hopefully that will happen, where people of a conscience will take power. But lets get what we can get now so we can improve it later without anything i am concerned we will never get there. Host what do you think we can get now . We were talking with commerce been Tom Mcclintock of california earlier this week on this program and he said there are provisions in this bill that if they were passed one at a time, he could support. But as a package, includes other things he cannot support, and he cannot support the message behind the bill. Ainslie qualified immunity is something he said he could joint things like qualified community is something he said he could join emma kratz on. What are you talking about that that he could join democrats on. What are you talking about that he could build on later . He say . What did host he could pass on a one item bill rather than this larger package. Caller i agree with exactly what he is saying. If we do senator scotts bill now and can get that through, we can put that on piecemeal later because that is a big issue. That is a very big issue and it needs to be discussed fully because there are arguments on both sides. But if we try to take it through as an express omnibus package, i dont think we will get there. I dont think people are ready to take that big a leap. People are ready to take a step forward. It is progress, not perfection. People are ready to build. Host my question for you is, in the democratic package, what is too big of a leap here . This is a question that congresswoman Madeleine Dean asked yesterday when i posed this to her. She said, what is in the democratic bill that cannot be supported . She things all these things have widespread support. I will name several of the items in the House Democratic bill ,ualified immunity reform amending federal criminal statutes to prosecute Police Misconduct, creating a nationwide misconduct registry, mandate reporting of police use of force, prohibiting racial and religious profiling, banning chokeholds, banning noknock warrants, mandating the use of police body cameras, making lynching a federal crime. Caller i basically agree with all of those planks. It is not that i disagree with is the lynching law because that should already be covered under hate crimes. If that will make the minority feel better and feel supported by society, then go for it. I like them all, dont get me wrong. But if we cannot get there all at once, lets get what we can get so we can get those things later. I personally would vote for all of them, but being a cardcarrying coward, i am going to say that we are going to compromise and build the base and build on that finish. If we dont do something, this is more of an emblematic bill for me. It is not just about the police, it is about the whole issue of systemic racism and it takes two generations, at least in my opinion, to change a culture. It is going to take time. We need to say here is something we all believe in, we are going to make it better, but we are starting here. Sort of like the old saying, how do you start eating an elephant . With the first bite. Said, all ofs i those planks are great by me. But i am not king of the world. And my view is one view of 200 million or 300 million. From thanks for your view tunisia today. Where is tunisia when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic . Are there any lockdowns where you are . , people aree telling me it is now coronavirus free. The funny thing about tunisias we have had very few cases over here, but nobody believes the numbers. People believe the infection rate is much higher. There is a lot of skepticism about the numbers. Part of it is people believe the government doesnt want to give bad news. People believe that the government doesnt have the capacity to compile the statistics. But it seems people believe they are exempt from the coronavirus. Two days before the lockdown lifted, people basically took it into their own hands to end the lockdown. Call. We appreciate the stay safe over there, and thanks for calling in from overseas. Domain is next come out of baton rouge, louisiana. Republican. Go ahead. Caller my call is about the virus. You just said something a little earlier that set me on guard. You said the president was sending mixed messages. He said that he wanted to stop it, but the doctors are saying keep more testing going. The president is taking money and republican, senators are saying he needs to stop taking money off the testing in these places. There is something that the president is doing to stop testing. Money, taking money off these programs, so you were wrong about that. That is not a mixed message. He is doing it, stopping it. Host what i was saying is that it was Anthony Fauci saying he has been given no order to slow down testing, talking about the testimony that happened this week for the energy and Commerce Committee, when that question was put to him by members of the house on that panel. Know the scientists and the doctors were saying lets keep on testing. But the president is doing what he said he would doing. He is taking money out of testing right now. Senator marco rubio from florida , the senator from texas, they are all edging him to stop and put money back into testing sites, and he is taking it out of testing sites to stop this. This is johnny in wisconsin, milwaukee. Good morning. Good morning. How are you doing this Beautiful Day . Host im doing well. It is a Beautiful Day. Go ahead with your comment. Call is about the tragedy of the political malpractice about how President Trump is handling the pandemic as well as his Blind Ambition to be president , while people are dying. I think he is totally responsible for probably 50 of the deaths going on in America Today as a result of his lack of leadership, as well as the republicans not backing him up. And working on a solution in order to stop the spread of this virus. I am from wisconsin. He had people in medicine with guns and rocket launchers complaining about reopening wisconsin, and wisconsin, like other states in the south, florida, texas, arizona, who are republicanled governors, that opened the states up, and the medical malpractice has been really the people are paying a price as a result of the spread of this virus, and we dont have leadership in order to stop it right now. According to a lot of the doctors, this virus is dam near out of control as a result of ,onald trumps mixed messages and people are going to die. They are going to continue to die. I go out in wisconsin and go shopping, no matter where i go, you have your High Percentage of people not wearing masks. It is very scary. And a person 70 years old, knowing that i am in the high risk category, being black, and scary whent is people are Walking Around and people are walking up on you, talking to you, and you have a huge fear that you may catch the of theobviously that 80 people are surviving and you have 20 that are not. But the high majority of people who are dying are minorities. I think we need to do something about this. I heard the previous caller talking about that the virus is being understated, and i believe that is true as well in wisconsin as well as the United States, that it is probably higher than what is being reported. As far as the depth and people going to the hospitals is a true indication of how the virus is affecting people left and right, and your previous caller made a good point. All of the world they are understating the number of people being affected by this virus. Therefore there is a higher percentage for you to get it indirectly or directly from people who are not taking it serious. When you see people out in the community that are protesting on arevision that their rights being violated because they have to wear a mask, when they should be proud to wear a mask to protect themselves as well as their relatives, their grandparents, and reduce the spread of this virus , on theat is johnny understanding of the coronavirus cases, the official confirmed count in the United States, some 2. 4 million americans confirmed to have been infected. Although we heard from the head of the ccc the cdc yesterday that the actual number could be 10 times that amount, saying some 24 million americans have likely been infected so far. Those numbers coming again from the cdc yesterday, that they believe that somewhere between 5 and 8 of the u. S. Population has been infected by coronavirus. Larry is in alberni, georgia, a democrat. You are next. Caller i just want to say that a lady called and asked about Race Relations in the United States, and is it better than what it was. I am soo tell you proud of the american white marched that stood and a couple of weeks ago with the floyd case. Those white citizens have been with us when we walked across the bridge in salem. Those in selma. As far as Race Relationships, i cried to see all the white citizens out there with the black americans walking because of something that needs to be changed. Said, we that being have came a long ways. I am 70 years old. I am a Security Officer in the state of georgia, and i am on the front line of the covid19, and my job is to make sure that everybody comes through the line. Now i would like to say one more thing that the people need to understand, that white and black ,n america is standing together and what they did on that march, they made the whole world stand up, because they are leading, and we have got over 22 mixed marriages in the United States, and nephews and nieces. I am a black american living in albany, georgia, where dr. Martin luther king started his march. It must stand as history. Robert e lee, great, great grandparent, my people fought behind robert e lee because of what we were standing for at our time, and it is part of history. What we need to do is put those they are oneofakind. No one should vandalize a statue or south, innorth the United States. They most important thing is, when you go outside today, look at your american citizens, speak to them, wear a mask. The mask is very important. Do not let anyone tell you that the mask doesnt matter. I have lost a person on this job because he was not wearing a mask. For therry, thanks call from georgia this morning. You were talking about statues in this country, the ongoing debate this week about which statues should come down, which monuments should come down. We expect an executive order on fromdent trump on President Trump on protecting statues and monuments. Perhaps look at that today. Yesterdays yesterday, speaker of the house nancy pelosi went on the Washington Post live interviews with robert costa, and one of the topics that came up was statues coming down in this country. About costa asking her calls for not only confederate statues coming down but some statues of some Founding Fathers in this country to come down. This was speaker pelosis response. You are talking about george washington, the author of the declaration of independence Thomas Jefferson . No, i dont think they should come down. I do think, though, that in the capital, where we have members of the confederacy, or as speaker, i do think they should come down. I do think that in the capitol, where we have statues of the president of the confederacy, the Vice President of the confederacy, with what they said about people in our country, i think they should come out. Issue of not about one method time, did they own slaves it is about what did they do about it, and in terms of the these bases were named years after the civil war. About whiteatements supremacy. \those names have to go. I think the president once again is on the wrong track by not understanding that you dont glorify White Supremacy in our country and have it be perpetuated once it is uncovered. Speaker nancy pelosi from the Washington Post yesterday. On the idea of statues, an interview in the New York Times with several defendants of those whose statues have been targeted for coming down, including the great great great great grand nephew of robert e , the son of frank rizzo jr. , the former philadelphia mayor who statue was removed by the , ay, and Clayton Wickham of aarold, descendent plantation owner whose statue was brought down early this month. Brian is next, out of eaton rapids, michigan. Republican. What is your news story of the week. Caller it is about the stimulus package things that they had going around for the first time. For some reason, the president ,as ok with it, and democrats they were kind of funny after the republican said yes, and they wanted to throw their billion. And all of a sudden they decided they wanted to go for the second, and now all of a sudden the democrats are for it and the republicans are not. It seems to me like this is a whole bunch of politics stuff going around when it should be about the people. I have seen people here not getting an appointment, they have no debt i have seen people here without employment, i have seen people here without implement, no money coming in. It has nothing to do about the people struggling in this world. Lakeland, is steve, florida, independent. Good morning. Caller good morning and thank you for having me. Things dont change with the races, you have to attack the laws. The law of 1857, that is when you have to change, that has to be removed. If you are going to give people civil rights, 1964, without the imperative of human rights, then it is all for naught. Do you understand what im saying . Todaywhat should we do caller . What should we do today . Caller we should go back to that law of 1857 host which one are you talking about . Caller dred scott. Where the court said that a and aman has no rights white man is bound to respect. That is the law. No but i put down after that host decisions have been overturned in the Supreme Court. Youre saying you want the federal government to go back and apologize for the dred scott decision . That is something that would help . Caller no, sir, it has not been overturned. Overturned, they would not be able to do what sinceo to people of color 1857, since a scene 63 come up to the test since 1863, up to the present date. In mountrces carolyn vernon, new york. Good morning. Is carolyn in mount vernon, new york. Good morning. Caller good morning. I would like to say that this president should resign because he is the worst president we have ever had. When obama left office, he did policy on how to handle a pandemic. And what did this man do . When he got into office, he trashed it. And he called it a hoax, this pandemic. The police are they d, i wish that people did not start to riot and whatnot until they started seeing what these Police Officers do people. These people did not riot or anything before this started. Dislike when people talk no fathers ine black homes. Well, there arent any fathers in the white homes either. That is why you have a number of doing theseen massacres, and they have a medical condition. No, they are criminals, too. And one other thing, please have dr. Joy to grew on from portland university. A discussion on race. Thank you. Host jim is next, look us growth, georgia. Good morning, independent. Caller yes, sir, i would like thepeak just a minute to police problem. In years past, as a teenager, i never had a problem that people of color have. At i have always noticed that lot of the police that i have encountered and let me say first, i have never had a ticket of any kind. I have never been arrested for anything. But i have had some encounters with the police, and i will say that about 60 or 70 of them have and that is in my opinion, the ones i have had contact with i have found attitude. Have a bully and i dont know why that is, why they think they have to do that. My grandfather was a policeman and a Deputy Sheriff for a while, and he did not need eight or 10 guys to come to his , because the place where he was a policeman and where he was a deputy, the people knew him. They knew he was a man of his word and he was fair. And very few of them ever opposed him. I can tell you some really funny little stories about him, but i have had police in my family, and i know that you dont have to be a bully to be able to the situation. Of traininga matter in the issue . Is it a matter of recruiting . For those who are concerned with what they call systemic racism in Police Departments, what is the problem . What would you say to those folks . To those, listen, i realize that they have a terrible job to do sometimes. I know they are risking their lives for us. You dont have to be a bully. Ok . That is something that i believe that they when given that kind of authority, some men can handle it and some man cannot. I worked in the Construction Industry all my life, and i learned something early on, that if you are going to be the boss, you dont have to be a bully. And i wasnt. Supervisor and a eventually as a project manager. You dont have to be a bully to be able to command the situation. The tone of your voice and your attitude does not have to show that kind of authority, that you have the authority. You do not have to do that. A problem, along with a bully in the white house who is just stirring that up and making it worse. He needs to be gone. It was a mistake to ever bring him into office to begin with. Say on the i have to subject. Thank you for the opportunity. Host before you go, you are on the line for independents. To could you say who you voted for . Caller i had a choice between a devil and a witch. I voted for the witch. I voted for hillary clinton. I voted for clinton not because i wanted to, but it was a vote against donald trump. Host mike is a republican out of strongsville, ohio. Good morning. You are next. Toler i just want to speak host we are not getting your phone line. Call again and we will try to get a better connection. Janice in louisiana, democratic line, good morning. Caller hello . Host go ahead, janice. , it seems tojohn me there are so many stories. Most people calling in are very confused, and i understand the confusion, because with all the misinformation and conflicting comments, which adds up to noise , leaving we citizens worn out, i listen to trump contradict himself continually and sometimes just lies about whatever. Thank you, cspan, for trying to present both sides, but there are so many different problems that people lose direction as to what is important right now, like coronavirus, voting, and the right to protest without destroying. We should all respect and care. That is all i have to say, john. Bill is next in port orange, florida. Good morning. Caller good morning, john. My concern is the reporting of the coronavirus and the increased in the numbers lately. That is the big story. We need it needs to be , proper in context context with the flu numbers, because evidently the covid is not the flu, it is something new and different. And we are not getting the complete picture. That is very important, because the American People need to be informed, and that was in the design of the First Amendment and the free press. I havent seen that kind of reporting where it is in relation to other illnesses, you common flu. Ally the flu season is over now, the normal flu season, and evidently hasnt avirus, it it hasnt run its course yet, according to the news. And i would also like to see, because cspan is probably the last house on the block now forgetting different sides of view. I would like to ask cspan2 like on different voices, news used to be in the old days. You had the debates, you had different points of view, not one after the other, but in the same sitting. And nobody took their bat and ball and went home. There was debate. You are a great host, john, a great facilitator, and cspan has others. I think you guys could pull that off and give the American People proper reporting on these numbers. The American People are being scared. Host the number from 2018 to 2019 on the flu season in terms of deaths, according to the cdc, in the range of 34,000 deaths over the course of the season. We are three or four months into coronavirus, the official count, over 124,000 deaths. Does that help put it in context . It does not because you are taking one year versus another. I would like to see what is going on right now paralleled with the reporting of the covid numbers. We need to see what the flu numbers have been in the same season. It is the current reporting. Covid needs to be in context with current reporting of the flu and other illnesses so we get a proper presentation. That is not happening, and the American People are being scared by the media, who get a lot of advertising from pharmaceutical companies. And dr. Fauci and the authorities here, they have decided that the vaccine is the answer, and the only answer. Have a parallel comparison in the current period, not when year to another. Host do you think the vaccine is the answer . Caller i dont believe the vaccine is the answer, but some americans may think that. We should have a choice what we put into our bodies, and it should not be forced by anyone in the government itself. So that is my point, and dr. Fauci and everybody else is saying the only answer is this vaccine, and, you know, it is coming soon, just hang on, keep wearing your mask, keep staying unemployed, small businesses, keep closing down, and, you know, we should hear about herd immunity also. Around, about a halfhour before the house comes in. Until then, we will be talking with cumbersome hank johnson, democrat from georgia, with congressman hank johnson, democrat from georgia. We will be talking about Police Reform in this country. We will be right back. Announcer watch house votes on d. C. Statehood legislation today at 9 00 a. M. Eastern come alive on cspan. The house will vote on legislation to designate the District Of Columbia as a state. Watch live today on cspan, online at cspan. Org, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Announcer the president , from public affairs, available now in paperback and ebook. Presents biographies of every president. Organized by the ranking, by noted historians. From best to worst. And features perspectives into the lives of our nations chief executives and leadership styles. Visit our website, cspan. Org thepresident s. To learn more about the president s and historian features. Today, wherever books and ebooks are sold. Announcer American History tv come on cspan3, exploring the people and events that tell the american story every weekend. Coming up this weekend, 60 years ago, four African American students protested segregation at a world at a lunch counter in greensboro, north carolina, which began the lunch counter sit ins of the civil rights movement. Sunday at 9 00 a. M. Eastern, live on American History tv and washington journal, we will discuss the sit ins and desegregation in the 1960s, with university of massachusetts amherst professor tracy parker, author of Department Stores and the black freedom movement. Then at 4 00 p. M. Eastern come on real america, two films on the civil rights movement. February 1, the story of the greensboro four and the american ofolution revolution 1963. And an interview with former Bennett College president esther 1960, and her role in the lunch counter sit in protest in greensboro. Exploring the american story. Watch American History tv this weekend on cspan 3. Announcer washington journal continues. Democraticia congressman hank johnson joins me now. Good morning to you. What do you think happens to the George Floyd Justice and policing act, now that has been now that it has been passed by the house . Do you have any expectation that it will be picked up by the senate or signed by the president . Caller unfortunately, the grim reaper, as he calls himself, mr. Mcconnell, has already said he is not interested in bringing the George Floyd Justice and policing act to the floor of the senate for consideration. In response to democrats offering that paradigm shifting legislation, Mitch Mcconnell them assigned the task of coming up with a senate bill to senator tim scott, who, within a couple weakys, came up with a product that failed to hold police accountable. And that is what the city wants to run with, and unfortunately, that is not the solution to this problem that everyone knows exists. So i guess, you know, there is still hope that George Floyd Justice and policing act will pass the senate. Havent given up hope yet. But we have a long fight ahead. That senate bill by senator tim scott weak . Why couldnt it be a place to start and build on . Caller guest it unfortunately only calls for studying the issue and it offers no accountability measures. So really the proper framework with the more comprehensive George Floyd Justice and policing act, that is the starting point. It deals with the universe, the entire universe of problems that will, once they are solved by this legislation, result in accountability for Police Officers than a change in the culture of policing. Unfortunately, the tim scott legislation does not put forward would begins that to address the problem. So starting from his proposal just doesnt make sense. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. Version,m the house and if the senate were serious, they would want to look at those provisions, and then work with democrats from there. Host you sponsored the stop militarizing Law Enforcement act this congress. What is that, and does the George Floyd Justice and policing act deal with what you set up to do in that act . Guest yes, it does. AndGeorge Floyd Justice policing act stops the demilitarized the militarizing of the act. Which would ban the transfer of military grade weaponry to state and local and also federal Law Enforcement agencies. Because of that pipeline of surplus equipment, surplus military weapons grade equipment flowing directly from the battlefields to the streets of our country, we have seen a militarization of our Police Departments, and with that , with thoseament physical armaments, it brings about more of a warrior our local, state and local Law Enforcement officers take on. Usagainstthem,ccupierversusprotector destroyer, versus someone who comes into the neighborhood to protect and serve the people. So that kind of attitude and those kinds of weapons are no longer what the public wants, and the public are the ones that the police are there to protect and serve. Haveublic we the people input into how we should be policed. If people dont like the way that it has been the way that it has gone over the years with this influx of militarism into our Police Departments and onto our streets. We try to stop militarizing the police after ferguson . Found legislation after 2014 after the nation saw militarized Police Responding to peaceful demonstrators on the streets of ferguson, missouri. It shocked the conscience to see that, and that legislation has been filed each session of Congress Since then. Point that wethis have had a vehicle under which we could get this legislation passed because even though it even though the stop militarizing Law Enforcement act had accumulated almost 75 asnatures on its own standalone legislation, that 75 signatures on its own as a standalone legislation, that still was not enough. The George Floyd Justice and police act has got it done. Are talking with congressman hank johnson. On the committee that the justice the George Floyd Justice and policing act came through, and of course passed yesterday, 236 to 180 1, 3 republicans joining the democrats in the house on that legislation. If you want to join the conversation, it is speaking of the judiciary, william barr, the attorney general, expect it to appear before your committee before the end of next month. If you get a chance to ask him a question, what do you want to ask him . Caller the u. S. Guest the u. S. Attorneys, who should have the ability to bring charges and adjudicate criminal cases, regardless of whether or not the subjects of the prosecution are friends or enemies of President Trump, politics should not come into smells likeooks and politics. Every time william barr puts his thumb on the scales of justice for help, one of trumps friends manafort, flynn, paul i mean, the list goes on and on. Roger stone. He, william barr, has done make thoseelp defendants cases a little easier, and with the case of michael flynn, wanted to dismiss the case after the man has admitted that he lied to federal officers in a legitimate investigation. This man lied and obstructed ,ustice and committed perjury and admitted that he had done so. But still, william barr wants to dismiss the charges. Why . Because he is a friend of the president. He is a loyal friend of the president. Same with roger stone. So he has got a lot of explaining to do as to why in those instances as well as in others he has been trying to influence investigations, either to clear the president s friends, or punish people that the president considers to be enemies. So that is a big question that he needs to answer. Colors already for you, richmond callers already for you, cover smith. I was very concerned when i saw the protests in d. C. And the people that have been the militarization of the police force, i think it leads our enemies our enemies to come in and attack us. That is not a safe place to be. Host congressman, did you want to respond . Yeah, i support 100 of our military that defends us from enemies outside our borders, and also police who protect and serve the people, maintaining tranquility, domestic tranquility. That is their job. We support them in those endeavors. But as far as the use of the military and the use of military equipment on civilians, that is another question. I agree that the police need to have all of the armaments that they need in order to protect us, but when they are able to simply order equipment from the battlefield to their departments , bypassing the civilian authority, and these Police Departments bulk up on military equipment, which the law requires them to place into Service Within a year of their receipt of it, or else they have to return it, it creates a lot thatnger for the people these Police Departments are serving. They use that equipment inappropriately. They have not been trained on how to use it or when to use it, and the people are the ones who suffer. So we have to ensure that we protect people from the excesses while at theement same time making sure that our military has what it needs in order to defend us from our enemies outside of the borders of our country. Beach, thisirginia is jim, an independent. Good morning. Caller good morning. I was questioning, why cant we put this on our ballot in november as opposed to waiting for the government to do something, because they dont. Be wanderingm to around doing nothing for years. You want to put the justice and policing act up for a referendum . Caller yes. You guys have been doing nothing for 50 years. You guys dont to this, you guys dont do that, and i think its done. Nobody hurt him. The guy from south carolina. I dont understand it. And i justaceful, dont know what to do or say anymore. Host congressman . Guest i agree with you, there is a lot of work that Congress Needs to do, and there is a lot of work that state legislatures and local governments, county commissions, City Councils need to do in terms of Police Reform. The reason why we are at this point as far as needing Police Reform is because we have allowed the situation to get to this point. It has gotten out of hand across the country, and it is time to rein it back in. Fortunately, people do have a right to vote. In some states, there is an ability to put ballot questions on the ballot, and the citizens vote for it. That can happen in some states. As far as the federal government is concerned, i know of no ballot measures that the law would allow for in terms of voting on the federal level. So i dont think that there is a process by which people can vote the George Floyd Justice and policing act, but you certainly can make sure that your state and local you certainly can make sure that they put this issue on a state ballot or a local ballot that may be binding or nonbinding. That is going to be up to state law. I hear you talking, sir. You are frustrated and you want to see some quick action, and i agree that as far as Police Accountability and Police Reform measures go, now is the time. We need to move now. The house has done so. Host someone from twitter wants to know if you support defunding the police. Think it is important to understand what it means by defund the police. It does not mean abolishing the Police Department, it means repurpose and the money. Some of it should of course go to traditional Law Enforcement. But what we have seen is, there are situations where when people problem,to report a sending the police to address the problem may not be the best thing. Carlos lopez, the video of his unfortunate death was released to the public yesterday out of tucson, arizona, where his grandmother called the full called 911 because her son was going through a Mental Health crisis. So the police came. They are not social workers. They are trained to lock people up. If they are violating some kind of law. They have to maintain order. They came, handcuffed carlos, 27 years old, twoyearold daughter, that he cares for, as ahe raises, apparently single parent living with his grandmother. The police came, they put him in handcuffs, handcuffed his hands behind his back, and put him facedown on the floor of a garage and put a split hood a spit hood over his head which caused him to cry out repeatedly, i cant breathe, i cant breathe. He was calling for his nana come his grandmother, and the man after 12 minutes of being in that position died because he could not breathe. And so what would have been appropriate instead of sending armed police to that call that came in 2911, should have sent out some Mental Health experts along with them. So when you talk about repurpose sing dollars that go to police more appropriate services for people to protect and serve them when they call for help, that is what defund the police means. It doesnt mean to abolish the police, but it is clear we have been putting too much money into traditional want enforcement and not enough money into social services to serve the people. And we need to do that. That is one of the aspects of Police Reform, and that is what the George Floyd Justice and policing act moves us toward because it definitely takes some of the money that would normally go to Law Enforcement agencies to purchase weapons and moves that more into a Community Policing model. Host we have about five minutes left or so before the house gavels in for their workday, and the congressman has to get to work there on the floor of the house. We will continue with a few more of your calls before that happens. Sandy in waynesboro, virginia, the line for democrats. Thank you for waiting. Beenr congressman, i have concerned this week. I have seen a lot of on social totice from people wanting advocate for Blue Lives Matter, and it seems to be kind of a concern, being raised up. If you are for black lives matter, that you must be opposed to the police. And i am certainly not opposed to the police. I am for them having what they need to do their job and the job that they are meant to do. But like you said come i dont think they should be sent out on social service calls, and i certainly dont think that they should be sent out, as the one case that was reported last week where a sixyearold girl was taken into custody because she was misbehaving in kindergarten. Television,it on the little thing crying and begging for the policeman to please give her another chance. He was almost crying, too, that he felt like he had to take her into custody. Well, that was wrong. That is some misuse of the police, but i dont think people ought to have it in their mind that if you are for black lives matter, if you are for the police refraining from murdering their citizens, than that means that you are somehow you know, you are against the police. Your point, sandy. Congressman . Guest people support the Police Departments, people support the Police Officers. Certainly, Blue Lives Matter, but that has not been the problem. The problem has been the continued unjustified killing of black people in this country at the hands of Law Enforcement. It is something that the george floyd video illustrated to the American People in a very vibrant way. Is etched in our minds forever, and that is the mentality of some of the Police Officers who patrol our neighborhoods, who are there to protect and serve us. They have not cared about black lives. They dont think that black lives matter, so when the call mattert that black lives , it was in response to black lives not mattering. Whereas other lives do matter. White lives matter. Blue lives matter. That is a given. The problem was that black lives were not mattering, so when we hear the phrase black lives matter, it is to impress upon people that, hey, our lives matter, too. We are equal. Disdain. At us with dont treat us like animals. When you come into our neighborhoods to protect and serve us, we are people, too. That is what black lives matter means. It doesnt take anything away from all lives matter or Blue Lives Matter or pink lives matter. There is an assertion that you to start understanding that black lives matter, too. That is what that is all about. Nobody should get upset by an effect. When you admit that to yourself, you are on the road toward a more or a less racist society. For people in society to say that black lives matter or white people to admit that black lives matter is cathartic to the collective soul of white folks in this country. I encourage people to say it. Host in the minute or so but for before the house is expected to come in, executive orders from the president today on protecting monuments, promising to be very strong against protesters who deface or vandalize or take down monuments or statues, what are you expecting from the white house . Have you gotten any heads up on it . Not, but thehave law is already protective of federal property, and then as far as state and local governments making decisions to racists that exist on their property, there is no trump executive order that powerurp local and state over state and local property. So i expect that it is another blustery Campaign Opportunity for the president as opposed to anything that is meaningful, an executive order that does anything. It is a political statement more than anything else. Host are there monuments in your district, your area, that have come down in recent weeks . How does that process work . A matter of fact, judge clarence c liquor, removed the who removed Confederate Flag from his courtroom in dekalb county, georgia, which is where i represent. Atis retiring this year, and the end of this year. Week that ad last Confederate Monument that is on the Courthouse Square in dekalb county, georgia, had to be taken down, and i am happy to report , cranes wereument called at 12 00 a. M. Last thursday night, i believe, and they took that statue down, and there were cries of joy by the citizens of dekalb county, that they no longer had to look up to that Confederate Monument looming over them as they walked to the courthouse to seek justice. So i am proud that that has occurred in my district. Host we will have to end it there. Cumbersome and hank johnson, democrat from georgia, we appreciate your time. To thetake our viewers house floor for gaveltogavel coverage. The honorable donald s. Beyer jr. To act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. Chaplain conroy almighty god, thank you for giving us another day. Have mercy upon us, o god, as the ravages of the coronavirus are spreading still in many states nationwide