Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Monday did not “directly” say if she supports the movement to defund law enforcement, as it has been picking up steam across the U.S.
At a press conference with House and Senate Democrats, Pelosi was asked about defunding the police, to which she did not respond to directly. She mentioned the legislation on racial profiling and police brutality the House plans on passing.
Pelosi also said in her response that the U.S. needs to “‘rebalance some of our funding’ and have those debates at the local level,” according to NBC’s Leigh Ann Caldwell.
On if they support Defund the Police movement, @speakerpelosi and @RepKarenBass don’t say directly but say they have more legislation coming that deals with “jobs and justice”
Pelosi says they need to “rebalance some of our funding” and have those debates at the local level
— Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) June 8, 2020
“On if they support Defund the Police movement, @speakerpelosi and @RepKarenBass don’t say directly but say they have more legislation coming that deals with ‘jobs and justice,'” Caldwell tweeted.
This all comes as a majority of the Minneapolis City Council has pledged to “dismantle” the city’s police department as their solution to police violence after George Floyd’s death.
City Council President Lisa Bender, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and council members reportedly made the announcement Sunday afternoon at a rally, saying they plan to “dismantle” their police department. The money for the police would instead go towards a “community-based public safety model,” according to the local TV station KSTP. (RELATED: ‘Veto-Proof Majority’ — Minneapolis City Council Pledges To ‘Dismantle’ Police Department)
Earlier Sunday morning, Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said he would not call for the defunding of the police.
Former Hillary Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon, who now leads the left-wing group Demand Justice, tweeted out his support for defunding the police Wednesday. Protesters booed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Saturday after he wouldn’t say he would abolish the city’s police department.
Protesters began chanting, “Go home Jacob, go home! Go home Jacob, go home!”
“Go home,” protesters yell at Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey because he said he doesn’t want to defund the police
pic.twitter.com/00MIM60P5L— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 6, 2020
The phrase “Defund The Police” was painted in the streets of Washington, D.C., next to the words “Black Lives Matter.”(RELATED: DC Mayor Won’t Answer Repeated Questions About Removing ‘Defund The Police’ Mural From City Street)
Floyd died while in Minneapolis police custody after an officer put his knee into the back of his neck for over eight minutes while he was handcuffed and on the ground. (RELATED: Senate Democrats Silent When Asked If They Would Consider Legislation Labeling Antifa A Terrorist Organization)
Since then, all four former officers involved have been charged.