CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript Interview with Mark Warner

Interview

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BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, the Democratic senator from Virginia and the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner.

Senator Warner, you are among 45 senators today who blocked the GOP Senate plan on police reform. President Trump says you did so because you want to weaken our police.

What do you say to him?

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): I say once again that Mr. Trump has totally got it wrong. I want to have a path to meaningful reform of our policing system so that all Americans, no matter who they are, feel the police is going to treat them fairly and appropriately in a country that's supposed to be equal under the law. And that's not the case right now.

And unfortunately the majority leader, Leader McConnell, could have taken the bill that was put forward by Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, two of my colleagues, which I was proud to co-sponsor, and said, let's start with that bill, amend it, and we could have had a meaningful debate.

Instead, there was a bill that was put up that I don't think was going to ever get us to an appropriate reform. And there was no willingness to compromise.

Now, we're going to have another chance. My hope would be that the majority leader would bring back up the earlier legislation, but if not the House will soon pass a bill very close to what I would support, and that bill will come over and I hope, again, we'll get another crack to start a bipartisan process. BURNETT: So, you know, two GOP leaders, Senators Cornyn and Blunt,

they both said police reform basically off the table if this bill today did not move forward. Senator Blunt's quote was there probably is no path forward in this Congress if they block debate tomorrow.

Do you think that possibly -- you obviously are more optimistic, but is that possible that could be what it ends up, we get nothing?

WARNER: It's possible if the majority leader wants to not have a process where we can bring together ideas, why we wouldn't have started this bill in the way a normal bill would be, take it to Judiciary Committee, let them argue it out in the committee, get input from both sides and then bring it to the floor. That's the normal process. That's the way the U.S. Senate is supposed to work.

He chose not to do that. But he's going to have another chance because the House will pass legislation I believe this week that will come over and then the majority leader will have an opportunity to bring that bill up. And remember, he's got the majority in the Senate so he can change that bill if he has the votes. But let's have a fair process.

BURNETT: So, the plan would have done some things. It would have used incentives to limit the use of chokeholds, you know, not giving funding to police departments that allow it, track that use of no- knock warrants, more body cams, national database on misconduct by police. You had all that.

The man who led the Senate GOP effort on this, Tim Scott, said this today about the Democrats blocking the bill.

Here's your colleague, Senator Scott.

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SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): We wouldn't be here if it were not, as Senator Purdue alluded to, the death of yet another African-American man, George Floyd. His murder is why the country has given us the opportunity to lead, to lead. And our friends on the other side just said no.

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BURNETT: I want to give you a chance to respond to Senator Scott.

WARNER: Listen, I appreciate Senator Scott, you know, approach, but I would also point out that every civil rights group, the attorneys and families of George Floyd and the other victims all said do not go forward with this legislation. Make sure there is a fair path to have meaningful reform.

And we're going to have that opportunity. Either put both these bills into the Judiciary Committee, let the committee work through it, or take the bill that will come over from the House and use as a starting point. I mean, there is no reason, there is no excuse not to have meaningful reform of our policing system if the majority leader wants to have a fair process.

If they want to simply kick this aside and avoid this issue at all costs, they can choose that. But they could have chosen that regardless.

BURNETT: Senator Warner, I appreciate your time. Thank you, sir.

WARNER: Thank you, Erin.

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