Skyrocketing crime in cities nationwide was the focus of heated election-year rhetoric in Congress on Wednesday, as Republicans blamed Democrats for efforts to defund the police, while Democratic lawmakers made a pitch for law-and-order initiatives.
In simultaneous press gatherings on Capitol Hill, House Democrats touted new legislation that would increase funding for local law enforcement, while Senate Republicans blasted their colleagues for months of soft-on-crime policies which they say led to the surge in crime.
“Crime is surging across this country,” Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, told reporters at a GOP event. “Last year 12 major American cities broke records for homicide rates. What do those 12 cities have in common? Every single one of them is run by Democrats. All of them.”
Republicans chiding Democrats over crime comes as little surprise in Washington. But after months of calls by Democrats to defund the police, some within the Democratic Party are showing signs of worry that the message might stick with voters.
While Republicans were blasting them over lawlessness across the U.S., several House Democrats gathered at the Capitol to show off their tough-on-crime bonafides.
Flanked by leaders in the policing community, including Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison; Patrick Yoes, president of the Fraternal Order of Police; and Dwayne Crawford of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Democrats touted legislation aimed at boosting funding for local police and distanced themselves from the more radical flank of their party.
“I am co-sponsoring legislation to increase funding our law enforcement and legislation to help police departments in hiring more detectives and specialists,” said Rep. Val Demmings, Florida Democrat. “Nearly half of America’s murders go unsolved. Is anyone really opposed to getting more murderers off of our street?”
Ms. Demmings, a 27-year veteran law enforcement officer and former police chief in Orlando, is hoping to prove that the majority of her party wants to fund law enforcement, despite some Democratic lawmakers, such as Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who are sticking to the “defund the police” message.
“I’m very focused on addressing violent crime, but too many members and too many people allow themselves to be distracted and get off the agenda where they should be laser-focused. I have colleagues who say a lot of things every day,” she said. “But we need to stay focused, and make sure law enforcement departments have the resources that they need.”
The recently introduced legislation would establish a Department of Justice grant program to hire, train and retain detectives and victim services personnel to investigate shootings and support victims.
Ms. Demings is also co-sponsoring a separate bipartisan bill to fund the police, up for consideration in the House.
Rep. Robin Kelly, Illinois Democrat, stressed during the press conference that very few Democratic members support the defund-the-police movement.
“You’re talking about what a few people think. If you take a survey among the Democratic Congress members, most people are not saying to defund the police,” she said.
Democrats have been forced to curtail their calls to defund the police in recent months after a rash of headlines highlighting runaway crime in cities across the U.S.
Last week, President Biden took a firm stance against the defund-the-police movement during his visit to New York City, as the city still reeled from the recent loss of two officers shot while responding to a domestic violence call.
“The answer is not to abandon our streets, the answer is to come together,” Mr. Biden told officers gathered at New York City Police headquarters. “The answer is not to defund the police, it’s to give you the tools and training and funding.”
*story by The Washington Times
