[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2645-S2646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Unanimous Consent Request

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first I would thank my friend and 
colleague, the senior Senator from Minnesota, for her eloquent, 
passionate words that tell the story of how she has done so much good 
and is working so hard to heal the wounds of Minnesota. We all 
appreciate it, Minnesotans and many Americans.
  Now, last night, as peaceful citizens exercised their constitutional 
right to protest in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, 
Federal law enforcement officers were ordered to clear out the crowds 
with tear gas and rubber bullets so that President Trump could walk 
from the White House to a nearby church for a photo op.
  He did not enter the church. He did not offer words of prayer. The 
crowds were dispersed with force so that he could get his picture taken 
with a Bible that wasn't his and was held upside down in front of a 
church he never asked to visit.
  I spoke at length about these events this morning. The aggressive use 
of force on law-abiding protesters was appalling. It was an abuse of 
Presidential power. It may have been illegal. It was certainly a 
violation of the constitutional rights of American citizens. The

[[Page S2646]]

protesters, some of them children, many of them families, there in the 
public park to peacefully protest were met with rubber bullets and tear 
gas. This has no place in American society or any democracy worthy of 
the name. The President must cease his behavior.
  The images from last night should disturb all of us and must be 
condemned by the United States Senate. They cannot go unanswered, less 
the President be encouraged to do even greater abuse because he has no 
self-restraint.
  In a few minutes, I will ask the Senate's consent to pass a simple 
resolution that says three things: first, that the constitutional 
rights of Americans must be respected; second, that violence and 
looting are unlawful and unacceptable; and, third, that Congress 
condemns the order to have Federal officers use gas and rubber bullets 
on peaceful protesters.
  This resolution is not a substitute for critical law enforcement and 
racial justice reforms that are badly needed, but this unconstitutional 
action by this lawless President requires a response from this body.
  I hope all Senators will support this resolution. Democrats are 
outraged. Republicans should be outraged as well. For my friends on the 
other side who claim they have not seen the events of last night, I 
suggest you find a moment and turn on the television.
  Our Republican colleagues cannot be objecting to our resolution on 
the false grounds that it doesn't reject violence. It does. Let me read 
you the words again in the resolution: ``Violence and looting are 
unlawful, unacceptable, and contrary to the purpose of peaceful 
protest.'' It is right there in the resolution.
  What other reason would any Republican Senator have to object to the 
things in this resolution? If a Senator objects, they should be asked 
which of these things do they disagree with. Do they believe Americans 
do not have the constitutional right to exercise the freedom of speech, 
the freedom of assembly, and the right to petition their government? Do 
they believe Americans do not have the right to peacefully protest? Do 
they disagree with the statement that violence and looting are unlawful 
and unacceptable, or do they support the President's use of tear gas 
against people, including families, who are peacefully protesting in a 
public park? Which is it?
  Any objector should explain why the simple resolution I offer today 
is so unacceptable to them.
  Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent 
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of a concurrent 
resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that the constitutional 
rights of Americans must be respected; that violence and looting are 
unlawful and unacceptable; and that Congress condemns the President for 
ordering Federal officers to use gas and rubber bullets against 
peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, on June 1, 
2020; that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be 
agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid 
upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The majority leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, first 
and foremost, I am a First Amendment absolutist. The right to peaceful 
protest is absolutely sacrosanct. It is a core American liberty. When 
peaceful demonstrations occur within the bounds of the law and with 
respect to the needs of law enforcement, leadership at every level has 
an obligation to respect and honor them.
  Our Nation must not turn a deaf ear to the anger, pain, or 
frustration of Black Americans. Our Nation needs to hear them. There is 
no question that the killing of George Floyd was horrific. In my view, 
it absolutely appears to have been a heinous act of criminal violence. 
It is totally unacceptable that Mr. Floyd is dead. There is no doubt 
that residual racism continues to be a stain on our country. We need to 
do more to address it.
  Over the last few days, we have seen peaceful protests hijacked on a 
nightly basis into a rolling series of riots that engulfed great 
American cities in wanton destruction and violent crime.
  These are the two issues the American people are focused on: justice 
for Black Americans in the face of unjust violence and peace for our 
country in the face of looting, riots, and domestic terror. Those are 
the two issues that Americans want addressed: racial justice and ending 
riots.
  Unfortunately, this resolution from my friend the Democratic leader 
does not address either one of them. Instead, it just indulges in the 
myopic obsession with President Trump that has come to define the 
Democratic side of the aisle. It pays more attention to the precise 
ways that Federal law enforcement protects Presidential movements 
around the White House than to the fact that great American cities, 
including my colleague's beloved New York, have been consumed by 
rioting, looting, and violence against police for several nights in a 
row, with no end in sight.
  Outside of the Washington, DC, bubble, there is no universe where 
Americans think Democrats' obsession with condemning President Trump is 
a more urgent priority than ending the riots or advancing racial 
justice. There is no universe in which the dynamics of Lafayette Park 
before the President seeks to exit the White House is a more urgent 
national priority than the shattered glass, destroyed businesses, and 
brutal attacks on law enforcement that are happening nationwide in 
places like Lafayette Street in New York City.
  I will object to my distinguished colleague's thin resolution and 
will offer something more full-throated in its place.
  My resolution would condemn a long pattern of unjust police violence 
toward Black Americans. It would champion the First Amendment and 
praise the peaceful protests that followed Mr. Floyd's death. It would 
clearly condemn the violent rioting that has paralyzed places like New 
York City and insist that local authorities finally get serious about 
protecting the innocent.
  I hope my distinguished colleague will not object. America is united 
and outraged at the death of Mr. Floyd, and I hope we can unite to 
condemn these senseless riots and move forward together as one Nation. 
Therefore, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.


                 Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 601

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as in if legislative session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 
Res. 601 submitted earlier today. I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. SCHUMER. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, it is very simple why the Republican 
leader objected to our resolution and offers this one instead. It is 
because they do not want to condemn what the President did, though 
every fair-minded American of any political party would.
  We certainly should condemn violence. Let me repeat: This resolution 
condemns violence. But it is insufficient, in the light of what 
happened yesterday, to just condemn violence and not condemn what the 
President did as well, so I will object to my colleague's resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.