WashingtonSen. Cory Booker of New Jersey addressed his Democratic colleagues in a rare public outburst on the Senate floor Tuesday, saying his party needed a wake-up call!
Claiming that President Donald Trump’s administration has been denying law enforcement funding to Democratic-leaning states, Booker angrily yelled at two of his stunned Democratic colleagues, his words practically echoing off the chamber walls as he blocked the passage of multiple bipartisan bills that would fund police programs.
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Booker yelled, “This is the issue with Democrats in America right now.” Are we prepared to work with Donald Trump in collusion?
As the beleaguered in the second Trump era look for a way back to power, the surprise Senate spat over bills that have broad bipartisan support for mental health resources and other assistance for police officers strikes at the core of their frustration as Republicans have pushed through nominations and legislation that they strongly disagree with. Do they fight everything and shut down governance in the process, or do they cooperate when possible?
After the exchange, Booker walked off the Senate floor, using an expletive, “A lot of us in this caucus want to f fight.”
One of the two Democrats on the floor who attempted to approve the law enforcement bills that infuriated Booker, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, stated that she held a different opinion.
Then she added, We can do both. Help our communities, protect them, and oppose Donald Trump’s unwise ideas.
When Cortez Masto attempted to pass seven bipartisan bills by unanimous consent on Tuesday afternoon, Booker’s diatribe got underway. However, Booker argued that the Trump administration is weaponizing public safety grants by canceling them in numerous Democratic-leaning states like New Jersey, and he opposed five of the seven proposals that would have allocated funds to law enforcement organizations.
Why would we do anything today that would harm officers in states like mine and further the president’s political agenda? Booker inquired.
Subsequently, after the bill was overwhelmingly cleared out of committee, Cortez Masto and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said that Booker ought to have raised an objection. According to Cortez Masto, this is not the proper approach.
“You can’t just do one thing during Police Week, not show up, not protest, and let these bills pass, then say another on the floor a few weeks later,” Klobuchar told Booker.
Klobuchar stated, “I like to show up at the markups and I like to make my case.”
Booker’s reply was a thunderous rant. “A wake-up call is needed for the Democratic party!” he exclaimed as he left his desk and walked out into the aisle. Along with institutions that ought to be bulwarks of free speech, he continued, “I see law firms bending the knee to this president, not caring about the larger principles.”
There is too much on the line, so if you want to approach me that way, you will have to face it head-on with me, he continued.
This week, as Republicans attempt to swiftly confirm dozens of Trump administration nominees before the August recess, and this fall, when Congress must pass bipartisan spending bills to prevent a government shutdown, the arguments highlight the tensions beneath the surface of the Democratic caucus.
When Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., aided in the advancement of a Republican budget plan in the spring that avoided a government shutdown and instead kept the government open, Democrats quickly faced a backlash from their base. Schumer maintained that both were awful choices and that shutting down the country would have been worse. If Republicans do not include some of their demands in spending legislation, it is unclear if Schumer and Democrats will want to impose a shutdown in the fall.
Other than telling his colleagues to fight harder, Booker had no specific suggestions. Other senators, however, insist that they must strike a balance.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, says he hears both things at home. He adds, “Thank you for fighting, and why can’t you all get along?”
According to Blumenthal, both are vitally necessary at this time in history.
