SENATOR BERNARD SANDERS SPEAKS ON POLICING, ECONOMIC AND MEDICAL ISSUES

COMPILATION AND COMMENTARY

BY LUCY WARNER

JUNE 14, 2020

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS’ SENATE SPEECH HERE, JUST 22 MINUTES LONG, IS INFORMATION PACKED, STARRING PRESIDENT TRUMP AND DO-NOTHING MCCONNELL VERSUS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S NEED FOR USEFUL ACTION AT THIS TIME. HE DEFINES ONE TERM WHICH, UNDEFINED, WOULD AMOUNT TO SHUTTING DOWN POLICE DEPARTMENTS, “DEFUNDING THE POLICE.” HE STATES HERE, “WE NEED TO STRIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT VIOLATE CIVIL RIGHTS.” THAT ISN’T THE SAME AS DISMANTLING POLICE FORCES ACROSS THE NATION, THOUGH SOME CONSERVATIVES ARE CLAIMING THAT.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE LATELY ADVOCATING RESTRUCTURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE TO INCLUDE LESS POLICING AND MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. SANDERS COMMENTS ON THAT ARE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL, IN MY VIEW. IN HIS REMARKS BELOW, HE INCLUDES SOME OF THOSE FACTORS, SUCH AS AN INDEPENDENT BOARD TO OVERSEE ALL POLICE KILLINGS AND EGREGIOUS VIOLENCE.

THIS IS A VERY GOOD SPEECH, MADE TO THE SENATE AND COVERED BY C-SPAN, WHICH I HAVE PAINSTAKINGLY DESCRIBED ITEM BY ITEM BELOW. I HOPE READERS WILL FIND THAT USEFUL. IN FACT, WE NEED TRANSCRIPTS FOR SOME OF THESE, BECAUSE THEY ARE WORTH KEEPING “FOR POSTERITY.” I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT PHRASE WAS POMPOUS, BUT NOW IT SEEMS TO FIT, DURING THIS HISTORIC TIME PERIOD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3RQp53MvcM

22:00 MIN. DURATION

The Worst Do-Nothing Senate in Modern American History

44,229 views • Jun 10, 2020

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US SENATE SPEECH, C-SPAN2

Senator Bernie Sanders

171K subscribers

When Emperor Nero played his fiddle as Rome burned, at least he provided some entertainment to his court. Senator McConnell is doing nothing.

THE NATIONAL CRISES LAID OUT IN THIS SPEECH ARE:

*THE EFFECT OF CELL PHONE CAMERAS ON TODAY’S POLICING

*“POLICE BRUTALITY AND MURDER”

*THIS HAS GONE ON FOREVER

*ACT NOW

A PARTIAL LIST OF THE ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE IN THE LEGISLATION (PARAPHRASED, UNLESS IT IS PLACED WITHIN QUOTATION MARKS) ARE BELOW.   

*IMMUNITY -- ALL POLICE OFFICERS, INCLUDING THOSE STANDING BY AND WATCHING, MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, AND IF THEY ARE CRIMINALLY CHARGED AND FOUND GUILTY THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED AS CIVILIAN CITIZENS ARE. HE DOES NOT MENTION THE POLICE UNIONS.

*FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT -- ALL CASES OF KILLINGS [SHOULD BE] “INVESTIGATED BY THE DEPT. OF JUSTICE.”

*THE MILITARIZATION OF FORCES AND RACIAL BALANCE -- POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHOULD “LOOK LIKE THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE, AND NOT LOOK LIKE INVADING ARMIES.”

*DEFUNDING – “WE NEED TO STRIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT VIOLATE CIVIL RIGHTS.”

*CIVILIAN CORPS – “PROVIDE FUNDING TO STATES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO PROVIDE FOR A CIVILIAN CORPS OF UNARMED FIRST RESPONDERS TO SUPPLEMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT. ... WE HAVE ASKED POLICE OFFICERS TO DO THINGS THAT THEY ARE NOT TRAINED OR PREPARED TO DO, AND HAVE CRIMINALIZED SOCIETAL PROBLEMS LIKE ADDICTION, AND HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL ILLNESS. THESE ARE NOT PROBLEMS SOLVED BY INCARCERATION.”

*PUBLIC ACCESS TO OFFICER RECORDS – “WE NEED TO MAKE RECORDS OF OFFICER MISCONDUCT PUBLICALLY AVAILABLE, SO THAT AN OFFICER WITH A RECORD OF MISCONDUCT CANNOT SIMPLY MOVE TWO TOWNS OVER AND START AGAIN.”

*INDEPENDENT CONDUCT REVIEW BOARDS – “WE NEED TO REQUIRE ALL JURISDICTIONS THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT POLICE CONDUCT REVIEW BOARDS THAT ARE BROADLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REFER DEATHS THAT OCCUR AT THE HANDS OF POLICE OR [IN] POLICE CUSTODY TO FEDERAL AUTHORITIES FOR INVESTIGATION.” 

*NON-LETHAL POLICE TOOLS – “WE NEED TO BAN THE USE OF RUBBER BULLETS, TEAR GAS AND PEPPER SPRAY ON PROTESTORS. WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE STREET TO PROTEST THAT THEY ARE NOT TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS, AND THAT THEIR BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARE DENIED.”

ABOUT THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19 ILLNESS

*LISTEN TO SCIENTISTS – SANDERS STARTS WITH AN EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE SMALL AND OFTEN CONSIDERED INSIGNIFICANT NATIONS, NEW ZEALAND. HE SAYS, “THEY LISTENED TO THEIR SCIENTISTS; THEY ACTED BOLDLY AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC; AND THEY HAD POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TRUSTED BY THEIR CITIZENS. ... WERE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE COVID-19 VIRUS WAS VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED IN THEIR COUNTRY, AND THAT THEY COULD REOPEN THEIR ECONOMY SAFELY.” [CONTRASTS NEW ZEALAND WITH THE USA AND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTIONS.]

*MINIMIZE UNNECESSARY DEATHS AND ILLNESS IN THE FUTURE – “WE NEED A NATIONAL PROTOCOL BASED ON SCIENCE TO ADDRESS THIS PANDEMIC, NOT HAVE 50 DIFFERENT STATES AND HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES GOING FORWARD IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. ... THAT LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

*NEED FOR TESTING – UTILIZE THAT TESTING AS WE TALK ABOUT OPENING BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS;

*DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT – “WE NEED, THROUGH THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT, AND ANY OTHER APPROACH, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT ALL MEDICAL PERSONNEL HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY PERSONNEL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT [PPE] THAT THEY NEED. ... WE NEED TO PRODUCE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE MASKS THAT WE CAN, SO AS TO PROTECT ALL AMERICANS, ABOVE AND BEYOND MEDICAL PERSONNEL. ....”

*INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY – “WORKING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT A SAFE VACCINE IS PRODUCED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT IT IS DISTRIBUTED TO EVERY AMERICAN FOR FREE.... I DON’T WANT TO SEE THE DRUG COMPANIES PROFITEERING FROM THIS FEDERAL INVESTMENT.”

*HAZARD PAY FOR FRONT LINE WORKERS – WE CAN NO LONGER ALLOW MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATIONS LIKE AMAZON, WALMART AND TYSON FOODS TO TREAT ESSENTIAL WORKERS LIKE EXPENDABLE WORKERS, LIKE SACRIFICIAL WORKERS ...CALLING THEM HEROES WHILE PAYING THEM STARVATION WAGES AND TREATING THEM DISRESPECTFULLY.”  

*THE ECONOMIC CRISIS – “WE MUST ACT BOLDLY AND AGGRESSIVELY TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE MIDST OF THIS CRISIS. .... ANYONE WHO DOESN’T THINK THIS IS A MOMENT OF URGENCY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORD URGENCY MEANS. ... WE HAVE GOT TO ACT, AND WE HAVE GOT TO ACT NOW, NOT A MONTH FROM NOW, NOT TWO MONTHS FROM NOW. ....”

*BUSINESS CLOSURES AND THE REAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE – “THE REAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS OVER 20%, THE HIGHEST THAT IT HAS BEEN SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION. UNLESS WE GET OUR ACT TOGETHER BOLDLY, OVER HALF OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN AMERICA WILL BE FORCED TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS FOR GOOD WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

*WE MUST PASS KEY PROVISIONS – “WE NEED TO RESPOND VIGOROUSLY TO THE ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT WE FACE AND THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THOSE PROVISIONS ARE:

*A PAYCHECK SECURITY ACT, TO “PROVIDE WORKERS WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PAYCHECKS AND BENEFITS THEY PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED. ... 32 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS....”

*MEDICAL CARE – EXPAND MEDICARE TO COVER “EVERY AMERICAN.” [NONE OF THE CANDIDATES I’VE SEEN HAVE SAID “EVERY PERSON,” BUT IN SANDERS’ CASE, I FEEL SURE THAT THE “HUMAN RIGHT” TO HEALTH CARE WOULD BE IN PLACE IF HE WERE PRESIDENT. WHAT WILL CONGRESS DO WITH THAT QUESTION, THOUGH?] HE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS “ALL AMERICANS” WHO LACK SUFFICIENT INSURANCE TO COVER THE COSTS.

*AN EMERGENCY STIPEND FOR EXPENSES – THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE $2000 PER MONTH “UNTIL THE CRISIS IS OVER, FOR EVERY WORKING CLASS PERSON IN AMERICA,” IS SANDERS’ PROPOSAL.

*EXPAND HUNGER PROGRAMS – THAT IS MEALS ON WHEELS, SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS, AND SNAP BENEFITS.

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