Defunding police departments would prove to be a dangerous move, Sen. John Barrasso said Tuesday.
"That is inviting crime without punishments," the Wyoming Republican said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "The police have a vital role as public servants."
He acknowledged, though, that there is a "lot of improvement that needs to be done, and I think they need more resources to get that."
Meanwhile, Barrasso responded to claims made by Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., about a bill introduced by Democratic lawmakers to overhaul police policy after the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who died under the knee of a white police officer, sparking worldwide protest marches for equality and police reform.
Hoyer commented that he's confident the bill will pass the House, but he's not confident about the GOP-controlled Senate after it has not been able to pass a bill to make lynching a federal crime, reports Fox News.
However, Barrasso said the Senate already passed the bill and the House will just need to pass up what the Senate has done so it can be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
He added that what happened to Floyd "should never happen to anyone at all in America, ever," as there should be "equal justice under the law."
"People in Wyoming have met and marched and done it in large numbers and peacefully, said Barrasso. "We need a partisan solution, something that is lasting and, we could even call it the George Floyd Act."
Barrasso added that he does think that there is much that can be done, including a national data bank that makes sure police officers who have a bad record in one place can't go to another and find work.
"That makes a difference," he said. "I'm a doctor and we did that with a national data bank for physicians to make sure they can't go from state to state."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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