[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 114 (Monday, June 22, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3113-S3114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE JUSTICE ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, while the House continues to be absent, 
the Senate continues to be open for business. While taking smart 
precautions, Senators have stood with all the other essential workers 
who are continuing to man essential posts. So as our Nation continues 
to work through medical, economic, and social challenges of historic 
proportions, the Senate has been able to lead on serious action to help 
our Nation heal.
  The killings of Black Americans, such as Breonna Taylor and George 
Floyd, have rightly accelerated the national conversation on policing 
and racial justice. Large majorities of Americans support new steps 
that would help the vast majority of good, decent, and brave law 
enforcement officers re-earn the trust of Black Americans for their 
vital institutions.
  We need to be a country where communities of color feel confident 
that the police are there to safeguard their rights to equal justice 
and equal protection under law and not to infringe on those rights.
  To that end, while the Constitution means many of the specifics of 
police reform are primarily State and local issues, there is an 
enormous appetite in the Senate to incentivize change and move toward 
greater progress using Federal policy.
  The junior Senator from South Carolina has led the development of a 
strong new proposal. The JUSTICE Act is informed by data, by the facts, 
by stories from across America, and, sadly, by his own lived 
experience. It enjoys the support of 46 cosponsors already.
  The legislation Senator Scott has put forward identifies productive 
ways that Congress can encourage and incentivize smart police reform 
efforts in communities all across our country.
  Recognizing the urgent need for greater accountability, it supports 
expanded use of body cameras and expanded review and disciplinary 
measures to back them up.
  Recognizing the need for more transparency, it steps up efforts to 
establish the records of police activities and requires full Federal 
reporting of all incidents involving the discharge of a service weapon.
  The bill takes immediate action to help end departments' reliance on 
choke holds and to facilitate enhanced training for deescalation. It 
includes further steps to protect the physical safety of people in 
custody and to finally--finally make lynching a Federal

[[Page S3114]]

crime. It lays out new requirements for departments to explain their 
policies on how, when, and why no-knock warrants are used. On behalf of 
the many people looking for answers in my hometown of Louisville, I am, 
unfortunately, especially interested in that provision.
  In recent weeks, the Democratic leader and many of our colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle have insisted--insisted--over and over and 
over again that they wanted to consider legislation on this subject 
prior to the Fourth of July. My friend the Democratic leader repeatedly 
expressed how eager--eager he was to consider these issues here on the 
Senate floor, but now we read this: ``Senate Democrats are agonizing 
over what to do about Senate Republicans' police reform proposal.'' 
What is there to agonize over?
  And we read this: ``[The] Senate Democratic leader . . . faces a 
tough call on whether to let a Republican-backed police reform bill 
advance on the Senate floor.''
  ``Agonizing''? ``Tough call''? It seems to me that proceeding to 
consider Senator Scott's legislation, proceeding to take up the subject 
on the Senate floor, would only be an agonizing prospect if Members 
were more interested in making a point than in actually making a law.
  For anyone who actually wants to legislate, it shouldn't be a 
difficult call to vote to begin considering Senator Scott's 
legislation. It will be exactly the vote which this moment demands.
  Last week, I understand the Speaker of the House herself said: ``We'd 
like to end up in conference'' on police reform legislation. The only 
way to do that would be if the Senate passed a bill. Even the Speaker 
does not seem to understand why Senate Democrats would block this 
Chamber from even considering the JUSTICE Act.
  Senator Scott and Senate Republicans are interested in making a law. 
The President and the administration want to make a law, and even the 
Democratic House leadership apparently would be happy to see a 
conference committee. So maybe the only group left in Washington who 
are reportedly agonizing over whether to block discussion of police 
reform or to let it proceed seem to be our Senate Democratic 
colleagues.
  I hope that whatever strange political calculations are making this 
difficult for our friends across the aisle will yield to common sense 
and to the American people's hunger for progress. We are going to find 
out when we vote later this week.

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