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Democrat New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker blasted his fellow Democrats for being complicit with President Donald Trump’s actions during a testy objection to a package of new police legislation voted on by the Senate earlier today.
Booker accused his fellow Democrat senators of aligning themselves with Trump because they are in favor of passing legislation, which, void of amendments Booker just began pushing, still allows the president to pick winners and losers in terms of who receives the benefits, he says. “This to me is the problem with Democrats in America right now,” Booker complained while objecting to the package of pro-police bills.
Booker’s objection to the bill, which he says boosts Trump’s use of federal funding as leverage to get jurisdictions and entities to change their behavior, comes as the president has threatened to repeal funding and resources from cities and other jurisdictions that push sanctuary city policies, fail to adequately address homelessness, or refuse compliance with other federal directives.
“The Democratic Party needs a wake up call. I see law firms bending a knee to this president… I see universities that should be bastions of free speech bending at the knee to this president… I see businesses taking late-night talk show hosts off the air because they dare to insult a president. I see people who want mergers suddenly think they need to pay tribute to this president,” Booker complained from the Senate floor.
“And what are the very people here elected to defend the constitution of the United States saying?” he asked. “‘Oh well, today let’s look the other way and pass some resources that won’t go to Connecticut, that won’t go to Illinois, that won’t go to New York, that will go to the states [Trump] likes.'”
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“That is complicity with an authoritarian leader who is trashing our country,” Booker argued to his fellow Democrats. “It is time for Democrats to have a backbone. It’s time for us to fight. It’s time for us to draw a line, and when it comes to the safety of my state being denied these grants, that’s why I’m standing here.”
Booker’s objection stemmed from a call from Democrats to pass a package of law enforcement-related bills aimed at boosting resources for police, including resources to help shore up death benefits for police officers lost in the line of duty, resources for greater mental health support for officers, resources to address child exploitation, and more. The bills, which eventually passed Tuesday, were discussed and approved in committee before reaching the Senate floor.
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Democrat leaders, including Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Mass., urged passage of the legislative package amid Booker’s objection, noting it went through the proper bipartisan procedure and obtained bipartisan support.
“We have committees for a reason, and we have hearings for a reason,” Klobuchar said in response to Booker’s objections. She added that “we need to have [law enforcement’s] backs and that is what this package of bills does.”
Cortez-Masto noted that the bills, which she helped sponsor and bring to the floor for a full vote, slammed Booker for attempting to tank a package of bills deemed critical by both parties.
“I don’t need lectures about the urgency of this,” Booker shot back in response to his party colleagues’ criticism. “I am tired of when the president of the United States violates the constitution, trashes our norms and traditions, and what does the Democratic Party do? Comply? Allow him? Beg for scraps? No! I demand justice!”
“NOT ON MY WATCH!” Booker added during his objection, while also urging Democrats to be more cohesive in their fight against Trump. “If we don’t stand as Democrats we deserve to lose.”
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Booker’s criticism of his fellow Democratic Party members lays bare Democrats’ intra-party fighting between the more radical wing of the party and the more moderate wing.
The New Jersey senator’s criticism also comes as the party is seeking to find the best strategy forward following big GOP gains during the 2024 election.
Former President Barack Obama spoke about the matter at a party fundraiser earlier this month, reportedly telling leaders of the party and major donors to “stop looking for a quick fix” and start supporting candidates who can really win and produce results. As an example, the former president pointed particularly at the upcoming elections in New Jersey and Virginia.
Later this year, Virginia will face a major gubernatorial battle between incumbent GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former long-time Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va. In New Jersey, Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who was reportedly in attendance at the fundraiser Obama spoke at, is running for her state’s open gubernatorial seat against GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli.
“The most important thing you can do right now is to help the team, our candidate, to win,” Obama told attendees at the fundraiser.
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