(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police and the resulting protests, the White House has belatedly realized that perhaps they should do something about police violence after all.
Well, some people at the White House have grokked that there may be issue. The president is still tweeting insane nonsense about 75-year-old ANTIFA supersoldiers on a secret mission to jam police scanners. But with 69 percent of Americans saying that George Floyd’s killing is indicative of “broader problems in treatment of black Americans by police,” his staff have concluded they need to at least pretend to be concerned.
So they did what they always do. They went to Jared Kushner, who has successfully solved the Middle East, the opioid epidemic, and coronavirus, not to mention his stellar work revitalizing the government’s digital information systems. So he’s the just the man for the job!
Apparently the police have already heard and answered our prayers!
But just in case the country wants more than a hearty round of self-congratulation for the cameras, the presidential son-in-law and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows trooped down to the senate to visit the highest-ranking African American lawmaker on their side of the aisle, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
Scott, who is no stranger to being treated like a unicorn within his own party, recently authored a book with retired congressman Trey Gowdy on their “unlikely friendship,” predicated on the idea that no one would expect two members of the South Carolina congressional delegation from the same party to socialize together when one is Black and the other is white.
“They work together, eat meals together, campaign together, and make decisions together,” the publicity materials exclaim. Whodathunkit!
House Democrats, who were roundly mocked for kneeling in kente scarves in silent tribute to George Floyd — scarves which were given to them by the Congressional Black Caucus — unveiled a police reform bill which would ban chokeholds like the one which killed George Floyd, put an end to no-knock warrants of the kind police were executing when they shot Breonna Taylor in her sleep, limit qualified immunity, create a national registry of police misconduct to prevent bad officers from moving to other departments, increase Justice Department oversight of local law enforcement, restrict the transfer of military equipment to local police, and make lynching a federal crime.
The Republican plan, spearheaded by Senator Scott, is …. more modest. It would still permit police departments to use chokeholds and no-knock warrants and leave qualified immunity unchanged, but would instead offer more training to police. Plus, it would establish a commission to study the issue!
Speaking to NPR, Scott lauded “the establishment of a ‘National Police Commission’ study, so that we can figure out best practices that can [sic] used across all departments that we would at least direct funding and resources toward in that direction.”
“I basically shy away from telling local law enforcement: You shouldn’t do that or you can’t do this,” he added later. “I think [the Democratic] bill has a tendency to be seen as perhaps a nationalization of some of the underlying issues or techniques.”
Heaven forbid that “National Police Commission” get crazy and actually “nationalize” its conclusions!
Later the senator took to Twitter to defend his party against accusations that it hides behind the very few minorities in its ranks as cover for racist policies.
Which conveniently omits the fact that there are 51 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, all of whom are Democrats, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn and Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries. The lone black Republican in the House of Representatives, Will Hurd of Texas, has not joined the group and is retiring anyway.
But forget all that. What’s important is that the GOP has finally overcome its reluctance and will agree to support an anti-lynching bill to prosecute civilians who target minorities for assault and murder. As for cops, though, they really need a commission to study the matter further.
Led By Tim Scott, Senate Republicans Begin Drafting Their Own Police Reform Plan [NPR]
Elizabeth Dye (@5DollarFeminist) lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.