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Floor Speech

But it is a concerning resolution. I just want to talk about why I am going to object. First of all, my friend from Tennessee is right, Tennessee has a crime problem. Tennessee has the sixth highest rate of gun crime in the Nation. If you look at the list of the top 10 States with the highest rates of gun crime, it is Wyoming, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Montana, Oklahoma, all States represented by Republican Senators, all States with Republican legislatures, all States with Republican Governors.

These aren't States that skimp on law enforcement, but they are States that have wildly irresponsible gun laws. They are States that don't invest in interrupting cycles of violence, so it is true that there is a pretty significant violent crime problem in Wyoming and in Mississippi and Alabama and Louisiana, Arkansas, Montana, Oklahoma, and in Tennessee.

But I just came across this article from the Tennessee Lookout which quotes data compiled by the University of Memphis, and it says that the increase in arrests in Memphis has been for nonviolent offenses. In fact, a quote from General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer says:

This is supposed to be a ``Make Memphis Safe Task Force,'' and really what it is, is a ``Make Memphis Drive the Speed Limit Task Force.''

In fact, the University of Memphis discovered that there hasn't been any influx of new cases involving violent crimes. It seems as if the statistics that the Senator just referenced aren't really different than any other month. What is happening is that there are just a lot more traffic arrests and a lot more nonviolent drug arrests.

I came across another article entitled `` `I Don't Feel Safe': Black Memphis Residents Report Harassment by Trump's Police Task Force.''

This is a long article detailing several instances of pretty horrific treatment of Memphis's Black residents, including racial profiling and other civil rights offenses.

I came across another article--this is just in like the last 5 minutes because I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this--which details a disturbing pattern under President Trump of law enforcement resources being diverted from combating child abuse, sex trafficking, and terrorism because of this apparent obsession with safe driving in Memphis or this obsession with harassing and locking up peaceful immigrants.

So it just doesn't feel like the words in this resolution match up with the reality right now. It seems as if this task force is locking up people and arresting people for nonviolent offenses. It seems as if we are diverting resources from really serious crimes, like terrorism and child abuse. It feels like there are some potential civil rights abuses happening in Memphis.

But it also is just written in a way that is probably much more appropriate for a campaign flyer. The resolve clause is ``recognizing the monumental success of Donald Trump's decisive leadership.'' It calls Donald Trump the most pro-law enforcement President in history. I think this is probably better in a flyer for Donald Trump's reelection campaign in 2028 that he wants to run rather than on the Senate floor.

By the way, in closing, talk to the Capitol Police here about whether Donald Trump is the most pro-law enforcement President in the history of the country. Talk to the police officer who was beat over the head by a flagpole by a rioter in this building who was pardoned by Donald Trump. Ask the police officer who was tased in the neck by one of Donald Trump's supporters and then pardoned whether Donald Trump is the most pro-law enforcement President in history.

This President pardoned every single violent rioter. All you guys said: Oh, well, you know, there were some nonviolent rioters here, and they should be let off the hook, but, no, we shouldn't let off the violent rioters. Donald Trump pardoned every single violent rioter-- rioters who viciously beat Capitol Police officers. All of my Republican friends just looked the other way and said: Well, if Donald Trump thinks that is OK, then so be it.

So, yeah, it seems like the story in Memphis is a lot more complicated than my friend from Tennessee would have us believe, which is why today we shouldn't pass this resolution. We should probably get to the bottom of what is happening.

But it is just offensive to call this President the most pro-law enforcement President in the history of the country when he is endorsing--endorsing and excusing violence being perpetuated on the people that serve us and protect us here in the U.S. Capitol, and for that reason, I will object.

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