THE EXECUTIVE ORDER IS A FALL
BACK POSITION AFTER CONGRESS
FAILED TO AGREE ON REFORMS THAT
WERE LABELED THE GEORGE FLOYD
JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT.
LET’S TALK TO IOWA CONGRESSMAN
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS AND
FORMER NYPD LIEUTENANT DARREN
PORCHER THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
CONGRESSMAN BEFORE WE LOOK AT
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, SHOW YOU,
GET YOUR REACTION TO A POLITICAL
CONFRONTATION THAT TOOK PLACE
DURING A PRESSER ON THE TEXAS
SHOOTING.
LET ME ROLL TAPE, GET YOUR
REACTION.
ROLL IT.
>> GET OUT OF HERE.
THIS ISN’T THE PLACE TO TALK
THIS OVER.
>> THIS IS TOTALLY
PREDICTABLE --
>> SIR, YOU’RE OUT OF LINE.
SIR, YOU’RE OUT OF LINE.
PLEASE LEAVE THIS AUDITORIUM.
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE A SICK
SON AFTER [BLEEP] COME TO A DEAL
LIKE THIS TO MAKE A POLITICAL
THING.
DAVID: CONGRESSMAN WHAT DO YOU
MAKE OF POLITICAL CANDIDATE
USING THE HORRIBLE SHOOTING WHEN
IT COMES TO A POLITICAL
PLATFORM, FOR STATEMENTS AND
POLITICAL SHOTS AT GOVERNOR?
>> A FAILING CANDIDATE DESPERATE
TO GET MEDIA ATTENTION TO PROP
UP THEIR FAILING CAMPAIGN.
THERE ARE FAMILIES HURTING.
THERE ARE SISTERS AND BROTHERS
THAT ARE HURTING.
THERE IS A SCHOOL SYSTEM AROUND
COMMUNITY HURTING.
I’M FROM TEXAS ORIGINALLY.
I LIVED NOT TOO FAR FROM UVALDE
TEXAS.
I KNOW THAT AREA.
THE PEOPLE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED,
AND DEEPLY IN PAIN AND A
RECOGNITION OF WHAT THESE
FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH WHAT
IS MOST IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US
RIGHT NOW TO GET THEM ASSISTANCE
AND CARE THEY NEED.
TO ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES I THINK REFLECTIVE IN
SOME OF THE POSTINGS OF THIS
INDIVIDUAL WHO CREATED AND
PERPETRATED THIS HORRIFIC CRIME.
DAVID: LIEUTENANT PORCHER, THERE
WERE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT STUFF
GOING ON AT THAT PRESS
CONFERENCE.
DETAILS WHAT HAPPENED.
LIEUTENANT, I’M WONDERING SOME
OF THE DETAILS WERE KIND OF
SHOCKING TO US.
MOST DISTURBING TO ME WAS THAT
THE NOTION THAT THE SCHOOL WAS
IN A LOCKDOWN AND THE SHOOTER
STILL GOT IN.
WAS THAT A SHOCK TO YOU AS WELL?
>> IT WAS A PROBLEM TO ME
BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK OF
RESPONDING OFFICERS, ONE OF THE
FIRST THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO DO
IS, YOU WANT TO NEUTRALIZE THE
THREAT.
IT TOOK RESPONDING OFFICERS 30
MINUTES TO NEUTRALIZE THE
SHOOTER.
THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
WE TRAIN POLICE OFFICERS YEAR ON
END HOW TO INTERDICT THESE
THREATS OF ACTIVE SHOOTERS.
WE HAVE THESE ACTIVE SHOOTER
DRILLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
PROTECTING THE PUBLIC AND
UNFORTUNATELY IT DIDN’T HAPPEN
IN TIME AND IT MANIFESTED INTO
NUMEROUS CHILDREN AND TEACHERS
BEING KILLED AS A RESULT.
DAVID: CONGRESSWOMAN, A LOT OF
PEOPLE SAID ONE OF THE THINGS WE
COULD DO IS JUST HAVE ONE SECURE
ENTRANCE TO OUR SCHOOLS.
I KNOW IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY
PRECAUTION TO HAVE TO TAKE BUT
THAT IS APPARENTLY WHERE WE HAVE
COME IN OUR SOCIETY RIGHT NOW.
IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT
CONCEIVABLE?
>> WELL, WE CERTAINLY HAVE HAD
THAT IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS HERE
AT LEAST WHERE I LIVE.
SO I REMEMBER GOING THROUGH A
SINGLE ENTRANCE AND SIGNING IN
AT THE SCHOOL BEFORE I COULD GO
TO VISIT WITH A TEACHER OR
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE.
AND THAT IS YEARS AGO.
SO THAT WAS OVER A DECADE AGO
WHEN I WAS DOING THIS AT OUR
LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL.
CERTAINLY IT CAN BE DONE.
IT IS NOT A COMPLICATED THING TO
KNOW WHO IS COMING IN AND OUT OF
A SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY A
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO BE SAFE.
I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN
EASILY BE READILY DONE.
DAVID: LIEUTENANT, I WANT TO
SWITCH TO THE PRESIDENT’S NEW
PRESIDENTIAL ORDER, EXECUTIVE
ORDER SOMETHING THAT COULDN’T BE
DONE IN CONGRESS.
IT SHARES SOME ASPECTS OF WHAT
CONGRESS WANTED TO PASS, WHICH
DOES PUT MORE ONUS ON POLICE.
AND MANY PEOPLE SAY THIS IS NOT
THE TIME FOR THAT.
I MEAN POLICE HAVE A LOT OF
HANDCUFFS IF YOU WILL EXCUSE THE
EXPRESSION THAT PREVENTS THEM
FROM CATCHING THE BAD GUYS AS
THEY WOULD WANT TO.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT
TIME FOR AN EXECUTIVE ORDER LIKE
THIS?
>> I AM IN COMPLETE DISAGREEMENT
IN CONNECTION WITH THIS BEING
THE RIGHT TIME TO INTRODUCE
THESE REFORMS.
WE ALL WANT QUICK, ESSENTIALLY
POLICING IN THE UNITED STATES,
NO MATTER WHAT CITY YOU’RE IN.
HOWEVER YOU NEED TO PICK THE
TIME.
I THINK THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
USING THIS AS A PLATFORM TO IN
CONNECTION WITH POLITICS BECAUSE
HE IS, HE CLEARLY SEES THAT THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS GOING TO
LOSE IN THE MIDTERMS.
IT GOES BACK TO HOW WE BETTER
OUR POLICING.
WE NEED MORE RESOURCES AND NOT
LESS.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE HE IS
INTRODUCING A STRATEGY THAT
DOESN’T APPEAR TO WORK AT THIS
POINT IN TIME.
DAVID: CONGRESSWOMAN, WHAT
AMAZES ME ABOUT THIS
ADMINISTRATION ON SO MANY
ISSUES, NOT ONLY MAKE SENSE IN
TERMS OF POLICY BUT DON’T MAKE
POLITICAL SENSE EITHER.
GOING INTO AN ELECTION, YOU KNOW
THAT REPUBLICANS, I’M SURE THIS
WILL BE PART OF YOUR PLATFORM
GOING.
>> ELECTION, THE COUNTRY IS NOT
AS SAFE AS IT USED TO BE.
WE’RE GIVING TOO MUCH LEEWAY TO
THE CRIMINALS AND NOT ENOUGH
SAFETY FOR THE INNOCENT.
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER KIND OF
PLAYS INTO THAT DESCRIPTION?
>> TO ME IT JUST SHOWS HOW TONE
DEAF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
HIS.
WHEN AMERICAN CITIZENS CONCERNED
ABOUT RISING CRIME, SKYROCKETING
CRIME, HOMICIDES, BURGLARIES,
CARJACKING, SAN FRANCISCO THEY
CAN GET AWAY WITH ALMOST ANY
CRIME BECAUSE THE POLICE NO EVEN
IF THEY ARREST SOMEONE THEIR
ATTORNEY WILL NOT PROSECUTE THAT
CRIME SO PEOPLE ARE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
THEY’RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
RISING CRIME.
AND SO THE PRESIDENT COMES OUT
WITH AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT CREATES
EVEN MORE UNCERTAINTY BECAUSE
EVEN THOUGH THIS APPLIES TO
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT THEY
WANT TO PUSH IT DOWN TO STATE
AND LOCAL.
OUR GOVERNOR AND OUR LEGISLATURE
AND I AS PART OF THAT
LEGISLATURE, WE PASSED POLICING
REFORM IN IOWA TWO YEARS AGO.
SO THAT CAN BE DONE ON A STATE
LEVEL BASIS BUT ANOTHER
PRESIDENT CAN, YOU KNOW,
OVERTURN THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER.
SO THIS SHOULD BE PASSED THROUGH
CONGRESS.
BOTH PARTIES SHOULD WORK
TOGETHER TO DO IT, BUT THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC IS FOCUSED ON
RISING CRIME.
I’VE SUPPORTED, I’M COULD
SPONSOR OF CONGRESSMAN’S BILL TO
PUT MORE POLICE OUT INTO THE
COMMUNITY.
THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO
KNOW.
DAVID: LIEUTENANT, THERE IS ALSO
ANOTHER BOTHERSOME THING, AG,
ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND, CAME
OUT WITH A MEMO ON FRIDAY OF
LAST WEEK, SAYING THAT THERE IS
GOING TO BE MORE EXECUTIVE
OVERSIGHT, FEDERAL OVERSIGHT OF
WHAT POLICE DO IN LOCAL
COMMUNITIES, SUGGESTING THAT
THEY CAN EVEN OVERRIDE DECISIONS
BY POLICE IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE
IN THE SAME VICINITY.
DOES IT HELP POLICE AT ALL TO DO
THEIR JOB WHEN YOU HAVE THIS
EXTRA LAYER OF THE OVERSIGHT
FROM PEOPLE THAT AREN’T EVEN
FROM YOUR AREA?
>> I’M A FIRM PROPONENT IN
OVERSIGHT INTO THESE LAW
ENFORCEMENT BUT AT THE SAME
TOKEN WHEN IT BECOMES EXCESSIVE
THAT IS WHEN IT BECOMES
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
WE’VE HAD THESE CONSENT DECREASE
THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN TOWARDS
THESE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND ALL
THEY DO HE IS COST US EXTRA
MONEY.
WE NEED MORE RESOURCES, NOT
LESS.
DAVID: I WISH WE WOULD WORRY
MORE ABOUT PROTECTING THE
INNOCENT.
INSTEAD OF PROTECTING CRIMINALS.
EVERYBODY HAS RIGHTS WHEN
ARRESTED BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE