Scott said he was relieved by the guilty verdict against Chauvin, but that more work needed to be done. His party and Democrats conceded one point Tuesday night: the long-running network of police reform has become untenable for both parties.
‘It’s pretty awful to see the country’s eyes on a courtroom. It is up to us to try to prevent this from happening as often as it does, ”said Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) put it even more bluntly: ‘The justice system has worked. But a man is dead. So it is a very high price to pay. And avoiding more such circumstances, more such events, is still a big priority. ‘
Romney suggested returning to Scott’s approach, which sought to put an end to the use of police’s cages, made the lynch a crime, and increased the disclosure requirements for the use of force. Democrats have found the bill relatively toothless and are pushing for a stricter approach that bans suffocation cages and raids.
In addition, senators have reached no consensus on the termination of qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that protects police officers from litigation. The elimination of qualified immunity is a red line for many Republicans.
Despite the determination among senior lawmakers in both parties to continue, it is not clear that Congress can add another divisive issue to its board. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), A former chairman of the Black Caucus in Congress and lead author of the Floyd Police Reform Act, said it was “extremely important” to reform qualified immunity in any bill that Congress accepted.
“If you do not like qualified immunity, then tell me what we can do to hold police officers accountable,” she said, arguing that Chauvin acted as if he knew he would not be prosecuted or sued. “They need to feel that it has consequences for what they do.”
Bass said she had talked to Scott and Senator Cory Booker (DN.J.) about police reform and hoped to have a bill on Biden’s desk by May, but that there were no formal negotiations yet.
Her roster is incredibly optimistic. Congress will take a recess during one week of May, and it will take the Senate a full week to negotiate a relatively modest bill on hate crimes. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will follow suit with water legislation and a bill between the US and China – and his chamber has yet to address any weapons legislation following a recent spate of mass shootings.
Several Republicans were skeptical about their colleagues’ insistence on legislative reform of police conduct. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) Warned lawmakers not to do anything [just] to do it. ‘Senator Mike Braun (India), one of the few in the GOP who is open to qualified immunity, was not particularly optimistic about the way forward.
‘No matter how hard it is to get something done here, I think it’s still going to revive’ discussions, ‘Braun said of Chauvin’s conviction. ‘If it’s going somewhere? I’m not sure. “
Even if the Senate can proceed on a compromise, progressive people are likely to push back. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) said in an Instagram Live stream after the ruling that legislation passed by the House is ‘important’, but ‘not good enough’. The failure to draft a better bill lies with the Democratic leaders as well as the IDP, Ocasio-Cortez said.
Both left and right used the police reform to score political points, while conservatives make a slogan calling for “the blue back” and progressive people to defend the police. Former President Donald Trump has literally taken up the issue when his government forcibly removed a crowd of protesters from outside the White House, urging officials to “dominate” protesters.
Even before the verdict was announced, the Chauvin trial itself was politically divisive and spurred offensive rhetoric. House Republicans tried to rep. To disrespect Maxine Waters (D-California) because he told protesters that they should “become more confrontational” and “stay on the streets” if Chauvin is acquitted. Meanwhile, several Republicans have criticized Biden for suggesting that there is “overwhelming” evidence for a conviction.
The debate on police reform is only the latest emblem of the dysfunction of Congress. Senate Republicans presented their own proposal led by Scott, but Democrats blocked the measure on the floor. Since then, there have been few tangible moves toward a strategy that could overcome a filibuster, though Schumer has promised to put the bill passed by the House on the floor.
Police reform joins a number of other issues the Senate is working 50-50 to resolve amid real global pressures, such as gun control and immigration. But the continued attention that policing has received since Floyd’s assassination, especially from the Democratic base, means that it may be difficult for the Senate to avoid the issue at some point.
‘The public has paid so much attention to this. And I do not know how Republicans will think about this … but there is more impetus on our part, “said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) argued. “People have seen so much about this and seen what good police do and what bad police do, because they know most are good police.”
The protests that dominated Washington, DC this past summer have finally disappeared, although cities such as Minneapolis and Portland, Ore., Continue to grapple with unrest over police brutality against African Americans.
Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) Said these protests allow everyone in the country to see that the country has different standards of justice for white people and coloreds. And if ever there was a ‘tipping point’ to do something, she said, it is now.
‘The reason so many people braved the street is because they could see it [double standard] and they demanded change, ”she said. So the question here is: will the demands be heard here in the Capitol? And I have to be optimistic that they will be. ”
Melanie Zanona contributed.