-You and Cory Booker -- I know you have tried to
spearhead police reform.
This is something that has stalled in the Senate.
Do you have any optimism moving forward
that there is going to be something
that can get through the Senate
and make it to the president's desk?
-I'm hopeful, but, you know,
everyone has to participate.
So, the work that Cory Booker and I did
was around the Justice in Policing Act,
and most of our colleagues on the Democratic side
in the Senate support it.
On the House side, there was bipartisan support
for a similar measure, which has now been named
the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
And bipartisan support.
The Congressional Black Caucus was the leader on it.
And I am urging Mitch McConnell, along with many of us,
put it now on the floor for a vote,
because it's just -- It's fair.
It's reasonable. It's practical.
It says that we should have things like
a national standard for excessive use of force.
So when a police officer uses excessive force,
the question we should ask is not "Was that reasonable?",
which is what, currently, we ask.
We should -- Because you can reason away anything.
We should be asking, "Was that necessary?"
We're saying that there should be
independent investigations, because the prosecutor
who works with that police department every day
will at least have an appearance of a conflict of interest,
and we want to bring integrity to the system.
So, these are some of the things that we're talking about,
and, you know, people are marching in the streets
by the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.
People who seemingly have nothing in common
are joining together because they are now seeing,
in vivid detail, because of smartphones, what communities
and, in particular, the black community,
has known for generations.
And there needs to be accountability and consequence
on this issue, and we don't need to study it.
We've studied it for generations.
Emmett Till's mother was trying to help us figure this out
when she had the courage to leave that open casket
to show the world the brutality that we're talking about.
We don't need to study it anymore.
We need to act, and that's what our legislation would do.
And so I encourage everyone to encourage Mitch McConnell
to put it on the floor for a vote.
-He seems to be a pretty easily convinced guy
when it comes to bringing something to vote.
Old Mitch just needs a little encouragement.
-Well, yeah, we can encourage him to put
the John Lewis Voting Rights Act on the floor for a vote
so we can put teeth back into voting rights
and make sure that the elections that we have coming up
allow everyone to participate equally.
-I want to finish with this. There is a short list.
I don't know if you are aware of this.
There is a short list for V.P.,
and it's, like, a list of names of people.
And some would say that you might be on that list.
So do you want to give me a very safe answer
that you might have preplanned that you give to people
when they say, "Would you want to be vice president?"
-[ Laughs ]
So, okay, let me read my answer. -There you go.
We'll just leave it at that.
-No, but let me -- No, let me say this.
Let me say this.
I am honored to be a part of this discussion.
And I say this to you from the bottom of my heart and soul.
We have to elect Joe Biden
the next President of the United States,
and I will do everything in my power regardless of where I am.
We have to elect him.
We cannot endure another four years of Donald Trump.
We need a president who, at this moment in time,
has compassion, who was empathy, who has a sense of dignity,
self-dignity, and lifting up the dignity of others,
somebody who fights for working families.
That's who Joe Biden is. I know Joe.
This is literally who he is.
And we need to save the soul of our country.
We really do.
We need a president who cares about
the people and loves the people.
But, you know, talk about John Lewis.
Let's connect these two things.
You know, part of the leadership and the power of John Lewis was,
he was motivated by love.
-Well, I think that is a nice place to leave it.
Thank you so much for
making time for us again, Senator.
-Thank you, Seth. Good to be with you again.
-Have a great rest of your week. -Take care.