House and Senate GOP lawmakers slammed Democrats for their “jarring” treatment of the Senate’s only black Republican, who authored a police reform bill that Democrats are blocking.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called out his Democratic counterpart, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for appearing to ignore Tim Scott’s leadership role in crafting the GOP police reform bill Democrats prevented from moving to the floor for debate on Wednesday.
“I cannot see why the Democratic leader talks right past Sen. Scott as if he were not leading this discussion, as if he were barely here,” McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Thursday. “All I can say is that it was jarring to witness, especially in a national moment like this.”
Across the Capitol, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments about Scott’s measure “reprehensible.”
Pelosi on Wednesday criticized Scott’s measure, telling CBS Radio that Republicans “have some suggestions that are worthy of consideration. But so far, they were trying to get away with murder, actually — the murder of George Floyd.” She has refused GOP demands for an apology to Scott, who has relayed his own experiences with racial profiling, including getting stopped in the Capitol by police who did not believe he was a senator.
“Her words are reprehensible, “ McCarthy told reporters. “This is actually a new low for Speaker Pelosi when it comes to just trying to score points with her newly radical base. Does her conference stand by her on these words? Do they call Tim Scott wanting to get away with murder?”
Democrats rejected the GOP measure because they believe it does not go far enough to reform law enforcement tactics and racial biases. House Democrats plan to vote on their own police reform bill Thursday and will be able to pass it with a simple majority vote.
Scott and Republicans criticized Democrats for refusing even to begin debate on the GOP bill, which includes many overlapping features.
Schumer went to the Senate floor Thursday and pointed out that he did reference Scott’s authorship of the measure last week.
“As I said a week ago, I know my friend from South Carolina is trying to do the right thing, but Leader McConnell decided to go about this the wrong way, the partisan way,” Schumer said. “Let’s start over the right way, the bipartisan way.”
Pelosi, in an interview with MSNBC, said her comments were aimed not at Scott but rather at McConnell and insufficient provisions in the GOP measure.
