Democrats on Police Reform. I hope the democrats finally are willing to come to the table. A successful vote to proceed to the justice act speaks volumes. A vote against proceeding shows the American People that politics are more important than people. Talking points more important than change. And gridlock more important than solutions. Surely democrats want Police Reform. I hope democrats will vote in favor of opening debate on the justice act. George floyd and countless others so murdered deserve the senates action and consideration of this bill. I yield the floor. Majority leader. Two weeks ago i argued that civil discourse in america faces a crossroads. Major newspaper had buckled under pressure from a social media mob. They apologized profusely for publishing a policy article from a u. S. Senator and made personnel changes to prove their penantennance. We could have a seasoned debate or let an angry mob run our culture. Well, recent days have reminded us, its not just our present day debates that far left radicals want to overwhelm. They also want to rewrite the past. Back in 2017 when people wondered whether our important conversations over confederate monuments would give the far left a broader taste for pulling down statues, major newspapers and media figures literally mocked that concern. They said, there were obvious differences between rebel generals and our nations founders. They said nobody would come gunning for washington or jefferson. Well, the far left missed the memos. A few days ago in portland, oregon a mob graffitied a statue of our first president , pulled it down and burned an American Flag over his head. This is george washington. Another Washington Statue was defaced in baltimore, a statue of Thomas Jefferson was ripped down in portland, also. This is the general and first president who built our nation and the author of the declaration of independence. Genius statesman who helped begin this grand experiment that brought freedom to hundreds of millions and saved the world a few times for good measure and in a crazy treating their monument like vanity statues of tin horned, bringing them down like they were saddam hussein. The list goes on. The missionary settler who pope francis celebrated in washington a few years ago to bipartisan applause, he sided with native people over soldiers. Ulysses s. Grant, the general who crushed the confederacy, the president who used federal force to fight the klan, they, too, have been placed on the historical hit list for this new red guard at that nobody elected. More monuments toppled up and down the west coast. But, madam president , there could be no clearer sign that these radicals have severed any connection to the righteous cause of racial justice. Theyve literally tried to succeed where robert e. Lee failed and bring general grant to the ground. Now, like any cultural revolution, this far left anger is sparing some heroes of their own. I understand that in seattle, a large statue of Vladimir Lenin stands quite untouched. Apparently people claim with a straight face that this communist statue has survived because it is located wait for it on private property. So the founding father of the mass murdering soviet union is standing on our streets, but our own Founding Fathers are dragged in the dirt. A small slice of our National Elite have spent years cooking up high flutein cheapest and basest form of antiamericanism. The claim that americas founding principle is bigotry has escaped the ivory tower and begun seeping into society. The United States of america can and should have nuanced conversations about our complex past. We can and should have discussions about our future. We can and should have peaceful protests. But this lawlessness serves none of that. Its just an alliance of convenience between angered criminals who think its fun to wreak havoc, and a slice of elite society who profits off saying our country is evil and deserves the abuse. Enough, madam president , enough. The vast majority of americans know full well that imperfect heroes are still heroes. That our imPerfect Union is still the greatest nation in world history. Americans know our imperfect framers built on a nation on moral truths that have fueled improvement beyond anything their generation could have built themselves. The American People know this and they also know that we cannot let angry mobs carrying rope act outside the rule of law. It was central to the 14th amendment and the Civil Rights Movement and local authorities may not do their jobs selectively. If equal protection of the laws means anything, it means mayors and governors cannot selectively stand down for confronting a particular mob, but thats precisely what were seeing in democratic governed cities across our country. In seattle, for weeks now, mayors have let bands of people ban police from several square blocks. People have been shot, a teenager has died. Apparently stopping this is less, night after night theyve watched criminals spray paint churches and topple statues. Public order is totally optional. Depends on the lawbreakersics politics. Police protected a mob a statue from a mob over by the white house. Every city, every night until the americans have the peace and rule of law that all of our citizens deserve. Its no surprise that people who want to say our country is intrinsically evil are so frantic to erase history that theyll break the law to do it. Erasing history is the only way their claims could carry any. And americans know that america an imPerfect Union is the most the world has seen. Were proud to have statues of geniuses who fought to found this country. We are a proud to build statues to the leaders who preserved it. Were proud to build statues of civil rights leaders who confront gross injustice. We thank god that all kind of imperfect people have made us a more Perfect Union and when the dust settles, it is never, never, the mobs or bullies whom we honor. It is the brave leaders who confront them. Now, madam president , on a totally different matter, last week senator scott of South Carolina and a group of our colleagues rolled out the justice act, a serious set of proposals to move the ball for Police Reform across the country. This legislation identifies the number of smart levers that congress can pull to advance and encourage smart reforms of Law Enforcement without steam rolling states and constitutional powers. It would help up transparency and reporting and record keeping, it would expand accountability and disciplinary measure need today establish and restore community trust. It would directly address issues such as choke holds and noknock warrants that have been in the news for reasons that nobody believes are acceptable. These are the subjects which the country needs us to address. Accordingly, these are the subjects senator scotts proposal does address. The American People expect us to do our jobs, discuss, debate and legislate on the subject thats captured the nations attention. Discussion, debate, votes on amendments, tomorrow, well kind out whether even these modern steps are a bridge too far for our colleagues on the democratic side. Earlier this month, Senate Democrats were telling everybody who would listen that wed be derelict in our duty if we did know the have Police Reform on the senate floor this month. But then, as soon as the junior senator from South Carolina actually published something concrete, their tune has changed rather sharply. And now, suddenly, our democratic colleagues reported an agonizing and debating whether to let the senate have this discussion at all or whether to kill any chance of reform legislation before it can even taxi onto the runway. The American People deserve better than a partisan stalemate. The American People deserve for the senate to take up this issue at this time. Senator republicans want to have this discussion. Were ready to make a law, not just make a point. Tomorrow well find out whether our democratic colleagues share our ambition or whether they choose to duck the issue and leave the country in the lurch. Mr. President , for the past month americans in all parts of our country and from all walks of life have once again been marching for the cause of justice. Theyre raising their voices and raising the names of those killed by police violence. Eric garner, michael brown, freddie gray,