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[Page S3097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE JUSTICE ACT
Mrs. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I want to end my few moments on the
floor with an acknowledgement of where we are going to be next week. It
has been made clear that we are going to have an opportunity to bring
up for discussion legislation that has been drafted by Senator Tim
Scott from South Carolina, along with a group of fellow colleagues over
here, focused on matters relating to policing reforms.
My hope--it is more than a hope; it is really a prayer. My prayer is
that we will come to this floor next week as colleagues and as
individuals who want to bring to bear good policy for a country at a
time that is so desperate for leadership that is responsive, leadership
that has demonstrated a willingness to listen to the raw emotion of
what we have seen expressed across this country in the few weeks since
the terrible death and killing of George Floyd but recognizing that it
is far more than the horrible death of one individual. It is a history
that in many parts of our country is raw and open and needs to be
addressed.
My prayer is that we can come to this floor not here to debate
through a partisan lens but here to debate those issues that are so
important and so imperative for the American public to hear; that the
response is not a Republican effort versus a Democratic effort, but
that these are matters that we must address, whether it is how we
ensure that there is full and fair accountability, whether it relates
to safe policing practices, whether it is how we address the concerns
with modern policing when there are issues before our law enforcement
officers that span the scope of how we address mental health issues--
those with addictions--and how we respond from a broader view and lens
but do so with our hearts rather than trying to project through our
political alignment.
I even hesitate to say because some would ask: Well, exactly what do
you mean by that?
I guess what I am asking for us to do is to come here and debate
honestly about where we are as a nation, and that comes to ensuring
that when we speak of justice, that we speak of justice for all in a
way that is inclusive, that is fair, that is equal, and that is
compassionate; that we recognize that the men and women who get up
every morning or stay out late every evening to protect and defend,
that we are there with them and for them as they serve us.
I am asking for us to come into our work next week with open hearts
and open minds, having listened well. If we do that, I can only suspect
that the outcome will be good.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered
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