SHE IS A FORMER CHIEF OF POLICE,
THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
CONGRESSWOMAN DEMINGS, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US ON THIS
IMPORTANT NIGHT.
WE HEARD GIANNA FLOYD SAY THAT
HER FATHERS DEATH CAN CHANGE
THE WORLD.
SO FAR IT HAS CHANGED SOMETHING,
IN MOST LEGISLATURES AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
THE BIG QUESTION FACING
WASHINGTON TONIGHT IS WHAT WILL
IT CHANGE IN WASHINGTON?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE GEORGE
FLOYD BILL?
IS THERE ANY REAL PROCESSSPECT O
GETTING IT THROUGH THE SENATE
INTACT?
>> WELL, LAWRENCE, LET ME SAY
ITS GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
AND WHAT A DAY OF REFLECTION.
BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE IT IS A DAY
OF HOPE.
WHEN WE LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST
YEAR AFTER THIS VERY TRAGIC
EVENT, A LOT HAS CHANGED.
AND I JOIN MY COLLEAGUES IN THE
HOUSE AND THE LEADERS ON THIS
EFFORT IN THE SENATE REALLY
BELIEVING THAT WE WILL GET THIS
LEGISLATION DONE.
WE DONT HAVE A CHOICE.
AFTER THE PAIN THAT WEVE ALL,
CERTAINLY THE FLOYD FAMILY HAS
SUFFERED OVER THE LAST YEAR,
AFTER THE PAIN THAT MINNEAPOLIS
HAS SUFFERED OVER THE LAST YEAR
AND THE NUMEROUS THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE, THE WITNESSES WHO
TESTIFIED, DANIELA, WHO YOU
TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
WE HAVE GOT TO GET THIS DONE.
AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE,
LAWRENCE, THAT WE WILL.
>> I WANT TO DRAW ON YOUR
EXPERTISE IN POLICE WORK TO TELL
US WHAT YOU THINK ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THIS
LEGISLATION.
>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I
SAY IS THAT EVERYBODY COUNTS BUT
EVERYBODY IS ACCOUNTABLE.
YOUVE HEARD ME SAY MANY TIMES
THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS LEGISLATION,
THE GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN
POLICING ACT IS NOT PERFECT.
BUT I DO BELIEVE IT IS A GOOD
START.
THE NATIONAL DATABASE IS A GOOD
THING.
LOOKING AT TRAINING IS A GOOD
THING.
LOOKING AT POLICIES IS A GOOD
THING.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE MUST AT THE
SENATE AND THE HOUSE MUST COME
TOGETHER IN HOLDING OFFICERS
ACCOUNTABLE AND LOOK AT HOW WE
CAN CHANGE QUALIFIED IMMUNITY,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOST
EGREGIOUS BEHAVIOR.
I BELIEVE THAT GOOD POLICE
OFFICERS -- I WORKED WITH MANY
OF THEM -- WANT TO SEE THIS
DONE.
THEY UNDERSTAND IT, AND WE -- SO
I BELIEVE THAT WHILE THE
LEGISLATION IS NOT PERFECT THAT
IT IS A MAJOR STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
>> LETS LISTEN TO WHAT THE VICE
PRESIDENT HAD TO SAY ABOUT THIS
TODAY.
>> WELL, WE -- YOU KNOW, WE ARE
WAITING.
WERE LISTENING, WERE HEARING
THE WORK IS HAPPENING.
SENATOR CORY BOOKER, HE AND I
TOGETHER WROTE THE JUSTICE IN
POLICING ACT WHEN I WAS IN THE
SENATE TOGETHER WITH KAREN BASS
AND JERRY NADLER ON THE HOUSE
SIDE.
AND THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
DOING HAS BEEN, I THINK,
INTENSIVE WORK THROUGH THE
WEEKENDS.
THE HOUSE MEMBERS, INCLUDING
KAREN BASS NOT GOING BACK TO THE
DISTRICT BUT CONTINUING TO WORK
ON IT.
SO, THEYRE WORKING AROUND THE
CLOSS FROM EVERYTHING I CAN SEE,
AND WERE WAITING TO HEAR.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A BIT OF
OPTIMISM COMING FROM THE HILL,
AND GHAIFSTHAT GIVES ME A SENSE
OPTIMISM.
AND WELL WAIT AND SEE.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN DEMINGS, YOUR
REACTION TO THAT?
>> I BELIEVE VICE PRESIDENT
HARRIS IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND
THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING
AROUND THE CLOCK OVER THE
WEEKEND ARE SERIOUS ABOUT
GETTING THIS DONE.
IVE CERTAINLY SPOKEN TO SENATOR
SCOTT, CERTAINLY WITH KAREN BASS
AND OTHERS REGARDING THIS
LEGISLATION.
THEIR COMMITMENT IS THERE.
AND THATS WHY I REALLY DO
BELIEVE THAT WHILE IT MAY BE
SLOW, A SLOW PROCESS, WE
REALLY -- I THINK REPRESENTATIVE
BASS SAID IT CORRECTLY.
HAVING SUBSTANTIVE LEGISLATION
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEETING A
DEADLINE.
WE WANT TO GET THIS RIGHT,
LAWRENCE.
WE HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT.
>> DO YOU THINK THERES ANY
POSSIBILITY OF GETTING YOUR
STATES TWO SENATORS, FLORIDAS
TWO SENATORS TO SUPPORT THIS
LEGISLATION?
>> I DONT THINK THERE IS ANY
POSSIBILITY OF GETTING -- AND I
SAY THAT WITH THE MOST PAIN THAT I CAN MUSTER UP.
I CAN MUSTER UP.
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE ONE OR BOTH
FLORIDA SENATORS WILL SUPPORT
THIS LEGISLATION.
YOU KNOW, LAWRENCE, I KNOW THAT
WE HAVE A GREAT TWO-PARTY SYSTEM
IN THIS COUNTRY, STRONG
TWO-PARTY SYSTEM.
BUT WE ALWAYS -- IF YOU LOOK
BACK HISTORICALLY, WEVE BEEN
ABLE TO COME TOGETHER TO MEET
THE MOMENT WHEN IT DEALT WITH
SOME OF THE TOUGHEST SITUATIONS
THAT WE FACE.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS.
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE -- AND I