Senate GOP unveil police reform bill

Senate GOP unveil police reform bill

[NFA] U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a law enforcement reform bill on Wednesday as a rival to more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress sought to curb racial discrimination and police abuses three weeks after the death of George Floyd.

This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.

“We’re listening to your concerns.” Senator Tim Scott, the chamber's only black Republican, on Wednesday unveiled a new police reform bill..

One that he said would create greater safety for both suspects and police.

The Republican bill rivals more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress struggles to address racial disparities in law enforcement three weeks after the death of George Floyd.

(SCOTT) “The George Floyd incident certainly accelerated this conversation and we find ourselves at a place with a package that I think, speaks to the families that I spoke with yesterday who lost loved ones - we hear you.” Both the Republican bill - crafted by Scott - and the more aggressive approach by Democrats in the House address similar issues.

(SCOTT) “I think we achieved some of the same ends by our approach… Both bills make lynching a federal crime, discourage the use of lethal force, promote the use of body cameras and seek better training standards for police.

(SCOTT) “The question is, can we get bipartisan support?

...I don’t know how to tell people the nation is not racist.

I’ll try again - we are not a racist country.

We deal with racism because there is racism within the country.” Democrats say the Republican plan does not go far enough... (SCHUMER) "This bill will need dramatic improvement." The Republican bill would not allow victims of misconduct to sue police.

It also doesn't ban police chokeholds outright, or create new rules to restrict the use of lethal force.

Instead, Republicans rely on the use of federal grant money to encourage police departments to adopt reforms. Scott on Wednesday said the stakes were high, and that partisanship should not get in the way of change: (SCOTT) “If we don’t have the votes on a motion to proceed, that means that politics is more important than restoring confidence in communities of color in the institutions of authority.” The Republican-led Senate is set to debate Scott's bill next week... while House Democrats hope to pass their bill by July 4.