After Democrats blocked a vote on his policing reform bill, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) accused them of wanting to keep policing and racial issues unresolved at Americans’ expense for Democrats’ political benefit.
“Today we lost, I lost, the vote on a piece of legislation that would’ve led to systemic change in the relationship between the communities of color and the law enforcement community. We would’ve broken this concept in this nation that somehow, some way you have to either be for law enforcement or for communities of color. That is a binary choice. It’s just not true,” Scott said.
I spoke for a little while earlier today on the #JUSTICEAct. https://t.co/fbhSknYJwr
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) June 24, 2020
George Floyd’s death and the national attention it received gave the Senate the opportunity to lead, but Democrats chose to abandon this chance for the pursuit of political gain, Scott said. While Scott allowed Democrats to make more than 20 amendments to his bill, they refused Republicans the same courtesy, and ultimately rejected a vote on the bill altogether.
“Instead of getting 70 percent of what you wanted, or more, you’re going to get zero. How’s that for loyalty? How does that work for the little kid at a home in North Charleston, where Walter Scott got shot?” Scott asked.
"The actual problem is not what is being offered, it is who is offering it."
GOP Sen. Tim Scott made an impassioned speech on the Senate floor after Democrats blocked debate on his police reform bill. https://t.co/7guR7FxgFU pic.twitter.com/9zs10SH9Jb
— ABC News (@ABC) June 24, 2020
Scott said Democrats refused to even consider a bill because they don’t want Republicans to have a hand in solving serious American problems, even at the expense of the people his bill would have helped.
Democrats say they disagree with parts of @SenatorTimScott’s bill. Fine. The Senate has a way to settle policy differences. It’s called legislating. The only reason to duck the whole process is if Democrats would rather preserve a campaign issue than find a bipartisan solution.
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) June 24, 2020
“They cannot allow this party to be seen as a party that reaches out to all communities in this nation. And unfortunately without the kind of objectivity in the media that is necessary to share the message of what is happening, no one will know,” Scott said.
There’s been a need for change for years, but Scott said that national and state leaders have failed and continue to fail in passing meaningful legislation due to prioritizing politics over people. The cities most in need of and demanding police reform, including Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, have been controlled for decades by Democrats, who never used their power to reform policing or reduce crime.
Tim Scott on Dems blocking his police reform legislation:
"Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis, LA, Philly, all these cities could have banned choke holds themselves… All these communities have been run by Democrats for decades… I’m willing to compete for their vote. Are you?" pic.twitter.com/LjOHJuDJVh
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) June 24, 2020
“This is a broken process beyond that one piece of legislation. It’s one of the reasons that communities of color, young Americans of all colors are losing faith in the institutions of authority and power in this nation.”
Tim Scott slams Pelosi for saying Republicans are trying to cover up George Floyd's murder with police reform legislation:
"She knows that she can say that because the Democrats have a monopoly on the black vote." pic.twitter.com/qbk5vsAQUd
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) June 24, 2020
