June 25, 2020 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Wednesday joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), 
Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in a press conference following Senate Republicans’ failed attempt to proceed with the hollow GOP policing bill. Harris applauded her Democratic colleagues for not falling for Republicans’ empty legislation and called on Congress to pass a real, substantive solution— the Justice in Policing Act. Harris stressed that the movement against police brutality has been around for generations and will continue until meaningful legislation is passed.
Key Excerpts:
- I want to thank all of our colleagues for their work today, which is to not fall into a political trap, to not take crumbs on the table, when there is a hunger that America has for real solutions to a very real problem.
- I also will say, to those who asked – well did you miss a moment? Well, no, this is part of a movement. There's a movement at play here. And that movement did not just start a few weeks ago. That movement started before Emmett Till. That movement was active and at play during the beating of Rodney King.
- Let the beginning be today, of a real conversation where the United States Congress will do its job in meeting the moment, in responding to the demands of the people, and doing what is well within our grasp, to take at least one step closer to that ideal of equal justice under the law.
A full transcript of Harris’ remarks can be found below:
HARRIS: Thank you. I want to thank all of our colleagues for their work today, which is to not fall into a political trap, to not take crumbs on the table, when there is a hunger that America has for real solutions to a very real problem.
And I think it's of note that there's a great diversity within our caucus, the Democratic Caucus, geographic diversity and diversity of priority issues. But there was an incredible consensus around this issue.
And so I also will say, to those who asked – well did you miss a moment? Well, no, this is part of a movement. There's a movement at play here. And that movement did not just start a few weeks ago. That movement started before Emmett Till. That movement was active and at play during the beating of Rodney King.
We are part of a movement that started a long time ago and this movement will not be deterred. This movement will not accept anything less than real, substantial, substantive solutions, which are the solutions that we have offered in our Justice and Policing bill.
And so, let the beginning be today, of a real conversation where the United States Congress will do its job in meeting the moment, in responding to the demands of the people, and doing what is well within our grasp, to take at least one step closer to that ideal of equal justice under the law.
Source: Senator Kamala D. Harris
