Sen. Tim Scott defended the Senate GOP on Sunday, saying Republicans are respecting the U.S. Constitution by not running over state rights and relying on federal funds to change the policing system.
During an interview on ABC News “This Week,” the South Carolina Republican rejected the claim made by The Root, a liberal-leaning black-oriented media outlet, that the Senate GOP bill was angling to “defund the police.”
Republicans across the board in Washington and most Democrats on Capitol Hill have staunchly denounced the calls from certain activist groups like Black Lives Matter to radically dismantle or restructure policing in local communities by defunding or abolishing police departments.
Mr. Scott, the sole black Republican senator, thanked The Root for seeing common ground, but pointed out Republicans are trying to manipulate resources but also provide more funds for areas in need.
“I’m not sure I would go along with their conclusion,” Mr. Scott said. “But, yes, it’s important for us to use federal resources we use for law enforcement in a way to compel them towards the direction that we think is the best interest of the nation.”
The package, spearheaded by Mr. Scott, ramps up requirements for police departments to report on use of force and “no-knock” warrants and provides incentives for chokehold bans. It provides grants for training resources and body cameras, with penalties for improper use of the recording devices, filing false police reports, or serious bodily injuries that lead to prosecution.
Republicans have stayed away from implementing national mandates on policies, saying House Democrats’ approach is too heavy-handed. One key example is in how each side approaches chokeholds, which lawmakers across the board want to rein in.
It’s banned outright in the House bill, but the Senate bill ties it to incentives.
“We both know that you can’t ban the use of chokeholds … except for to compel behavior by the federal grants that come into play. And by removing those grants you actually position those departments to change their positions,” Mr. Scott said.
“The U.S. Constitution does not allow the federal government to take over local police departments,” he added.
There’s a large emphasis on data collection, so it would also create two new commissions. One will review the criminal justice system, while the other will take a more holistic approach in reviewing conditions affecting black men and boys in multiple areas including education, health care, finance and the justice system.
Democrats set a vote for later this week on their own bill.
It goes further than what many Republicans have said is acceptable by proposing a national use of force standard, creating a national misconduct registry, and opening up officers to civil lawsuits for actions resulting from carrying out their duties.
