Never one to shy away from inflammatory speech that doesn’t contribute anything positive to the situation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now accusing Republicans of “trying to get away with…the murder of George Floyd” after the GOP put forward their own bill addressing police brutality that differs from the Democrats’ approach.
The Republicans’ legislation, drafted by South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, aims to set up a national system to collect data on use of force and police misconduct in an effort to better identify and target the problem.
The Democrats’ bill, on the other hand, would make it easier to convict police officers accused of misconduct, and would immediately ban the use of chokeholds by law enforcement officers nationwide – something the GOP’s bill doesn’t do.
And apparently for Pelosi, that’s tantamount to murder.
"We're saying no chokeholds," Pelosi said, talking about the Democrat's legislation. "They're not saying no chokeholds. I mean, there's a big difference there. What's the compromise? Some chokeholds? I don't see what the compromise is."
“For something to happen, [Republicans are] going to have to face the reality of police brutality, the reality of the need for justice in policing, and the recognition that there are many, many good people in law enforcement, but not all, and that we have to address those concerns,” Pelosi said. “So far they [Republicans] were trying to get away with murder, actually, the murder of George Floyd.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., tweeted that Pelosi "should immediately apologize for this hateful statement," calling it "absolutely disgusting" and asserting that Scott "is an incredibly effective policymaker and leader on racial justice and policing reform. America is blessed to have him in the United States Senate."
Sen. Kelley Loeffler, R-Ga., called the comments "revolting," tweeting at the House Speaker, "Shame on you & shame on the Democrats enabling you."
Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer received widespread condemnation from both sides of the aisle, including many Republican lawmakers - like Scott - who demanded justice and an end to police brutality.