On the recordJune 24, 2020
today my colleagues on the other side of the aisle voted to block consideration of the JUSTICE bill. This happened to be the first major piece of police reform legislation in years. To be clear, this vote wasn't a vote to pass the bill in the Senate. It wasn't even a vote to limit debate on police reform. It was a vote on whether we could simply begin debate on police reform. We are standing now on the floor of what is called the world's greatest deliberative body, the U.S. Senate. Yet my colleagues on the other side wouldn't even entertain a debate on an issue that has stirred our Nation and shaken it to its core. We know why we are here. There was a murder of a citizen in Minneapolis--George Floyd. There have been peaceful demonstrations all over the country since then, and Congress's time to respond probably-- probably should have responded years ago, but this has brought to a head that we need police reform. Yes, we are in the world's greatest deliberative body, we are told. The Senate's legacy and prestige are built on our ability to debate and discuss legislation, to address the most pressing issues before our country. My colleagues on the other side have robbed the American people of the opportunity to pass meaningful police reform. On the other side, they argue that the JUSTICE Act doesn't go far enough and that their version of police reform is the only bill worth considering. All the brains in the U.S.…





