Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock). Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, 13 years ago, I partnered with California State Senate Democrats in advocating for an open records act for complaints against police officers. Five years ago, I cosponsored Hank Johnson's Stop Militarizing the Police Act. This year, I cosponsored Justin Amash's legislation to end qualified immunity for public officials. So if the majority was seeking bipartisan support for police reform, they would have had it. If they had sought consultation, compromise, and cooperation, if they had reached across the aisle, they would have found many sincere allies among Republicans. My views on law enforcement were shaped years ago when I had the honor to work for the former Los Angeles police chief, Ed Davis. His approach to law enforcement proved highly effective. While crime increased dramatically across the rest of the country during these years, in Los Angeles, under Chief Davis, it came down. He believed in the policing principles of Sir Robert Peel, that the police are simply an extension of the community. Chief Davis believed that, and he practiced it. He introduced neighborhood watch, enlisting citizens to work in partnership with the police. He introduced the Basic Car Plan that matched patrol officers with individual neighborhoods so that they would become a familiar, recognized, and trusted presence in those neighborhoods.…”