On the recordJune 18, 2020
over the weekend we celebrated Flag Day, when we honor our country's flag as a symbol of unity. It is also a symbol of all of the struggles we have gone through as a nation and the struggles ahead of us. Harry Truman, whose desk--one of his desks used on the Senate floor-- is right here in front of me, once said that Flag Day is also a chance for us to consider what we want the flag to stand for. So I think it is appropriate that we are considering the best way to make sure that the flag stands for all we want it to stand for--and for all of us. Senator Tim Scott has introduced the JUSTICE Act, which would bring us closer to that idea. I was glad to be a cosponsor of the bill. I think this bill has the potential to make a real difference in how we deal with the important and difficult issue of police reform and making sure that our communities are both safe and secure. You know, you can be safe in the sense that you are not in danger, but people also need to feel secure, meaning they have confidence that they will remain safe and that they will be treated fairly while they are safe. We need to be sure that all of the people of our country believe that justice can be blind and that it can be dispensed without fear or favor. Policing, by its very nature, is mostly a local function. There are around 18,000 police departments across the country. Most of the reforms can be made at the local level or the State level.…
