Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Introduction Of New Senate Resolution To Denounce Former President Trump’s Call To Defund Law Enforcement

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the introduction of a new Senate resolution to denounce former President Donald Trump’s call to defund both the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

A few weeks ago, former President Donald Trump called on Republicans in Congress to defund the Department of Justice and FBI because of personal grievances. Instead of standing up to President Trump, Speaker McCarthy and Republican leaders have been silent, and some members of their party even echo the former president’s call.

That’s why today, I’m introducing a resolution denouncing President Trump’s call to defund the DOJ and the FBI. The Senate will act on this measure as soon as next week.

The resolution is simple: it expresses our support for federal law enforcement, and it condemns Donald Trump’s call to defund the DOJ and FBI and any other partisan attempts to undermine their authority.

When the resolution comes to the floor, every member of this chamber will have a chance to do the right thing: stand up for the brave law enforcement who keep us safe and reject the former president’s dangerous call to strip away their funding.

I hope the resolution passes unanimously. It certainly should.

The DOJ and FBI do critical work to protect our communities from threats at home and abroad, including drug trafficking, gun violence, terrorism, and so much more.

Do Republicans really want to cut their funding, the funding of these agencies, making it harder for them to do their jobs?

So, again, where will Republicans stand? Will they stand with the federal law enforcement to keep us safe, or will they stand with the former president and his dangerous call to defund federal law enforcement? The American people deserve to know how radical the hard right has become, and this resolution will give them answers.

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