“We need to continue to focus on social, economic, educational, and police reforms. Still no sensible reform involves defunding the police.”
Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke on the Senate floor about how the Democrats’ push to defund law enforcement agencies will only increase crime and make schools less safe.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“I come to the floor today at a time when you and I have heard the Democrats’ latest rallying cry. Astonishingly, the rallying cry is ‘defund the police.’ ‘Defund the police.’
“That’s what I’m hearing from Democrats all across America.
“This comes on the heels of a previous battle cry, ‘abolish I.C.E.’ That’s what the Democrats are calling for today.
“Leading Democrats, radical left-wing lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are pushing these very dangerous ideas.
“Let me say it again: Liberal Democrats all across the country are asking all of us to defund law enforcement in America.
“If we did that, if we did that, crime would go through the roof.
“School safety would cease to exist.
“The most vulnerable in our society would have no one to turn to or call in case of an emergency.
“Yet democratic mayors across the country seem to be on board.
“Last week the Democrat mayor of Los Angeles said he plans to slash the L.A. Police department’s budget.
“New York City Mayor De Blasio has vowed to cut funding for the New York police department.
“The Minneapolis city council announced Sunday that it would vote to disband, disband the city’s police department, and said they had a veto-proof majority.
“House Democrats have now just released a new bill that supposedly seeks police reform.
“This is from a party that just last month pushed a trillion dollar, the total bill was $3 trillion, with a heroes fund to support the police.
“Well, now funding for police has purposely been left out of the bill.
“As our economy begins to recover, and I’ll tell you the jobs numbers are very promising, we need to make sure that our communities are safe.
“This starts at the local level with governors and mayors in cities like Minneapolis and New York and Los Angeles.
“Last week the Wall Street Journal had an editorial that was titled ‘Liberal Cities, Radical Mayhem: Democrat mayors and governors seem unable to stop the lawlessness.’
“It included a warning. It said, ‘This isn’t merely about damage to property – It’s about destroying the order required for city life.’
“They went on to say, ‘Non-criminals are afraid to go into these cities to make a living.’
“Now you see New York Governor Cuomo blaming Mayor De Blasio, as well as the New York Police Department, for failing to stop the violence in New York City.
“The Manhattan Institute says that the riots likely cost New York businesses tens of millions of dollars last week alone. This is in damages.
“Nationwide at least 12 people have been killed in the riots last week, including police officers. The rioters have committed many acts of violence against police officers as well as against innocent bystanders.
“In New York City alone, 292 officers have been injured last week. One New York police officer was stabbed in the neck. Two others were shot last Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
“In Los Angeles, 27 officers were injured during just one night of rioting. One officer suffered a fractured skull, another a broken knee.
“Now, on Thursday Attorney General Bill Barr gave a briefing on the administration’s efforts to end the violence. The attorney general also said that President Trump has directed him to ‘spare no effort’ in seeking justice in the George Floyd case.
“The state has filed criminal charges against the four officers and federal authorities are investigating civil rights violations.
“The attorney general’s claiming and now has said that there is now clear evidence that extremist groups like Antifa were exciting the riots. The lawlessness, he said, must and will stop. ‘Our free society depends on the rule of law’ and the attorney general has said that ‘the rule of law will prevail.’
“We need to continue to focus on social, economic, educational, and police reforms.
“Still no sensible reform involves defunding the police.
“Police are civil servants. Their job is difficult. Their job is dangerous.
“They may need more resources, not fewer as Democrats across the country are calling for defunding.
“I’m saying they may need more. They may need more training. They may need more resources for body cameras. They may need more resources to help recruit officers who match their communities.
“There’s much more that needs to be done and defunding is not part of it. We can never abandon those who protect us.”
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