Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for talking “right past” Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
McConnell took the Senate floor Thursday after Senate Democrats voted down Scott’s JUSTICE Act aimed at reforming law enforcement, accusing Schumer of ignoring Scott entirely in his rebuttal of the bill. (RELATED: Senate Democrats Block Republican Police Reform Legislation)
WATCH:
McConnell accused Schumer of not mentioning even once the fact that Scott had authored the JUSTICE Act, saying, “I could not help but notice that in the Democratic Leader’s lengthy remarks yesterday morning, he did not once address or acknowledge the junior senator for South Carolina as the author of the JUSTICE Act. Not one time did the Democratic Leader address Senator Tim Scott as the author of the legislation he was trashing.”
“I cannot see why the Democratic Leader talks right past Senator Scott as if he were not leading this discussion, as if he were barely here. All I can say is that it was jarring to witness, especially in a national moment like this,” he added.
McConnell went on to tout Scott’s work throughout the lengthy process, noting that the South Carolina senator had been pursuing law enforcement and criminal justice reform long before it became a hot-button issue.
“I can certainly take all the angry comments my colleague from New York wants to throw my way. I don’t mind. But if he’d like to learn something about the substance of this issue, he might want to stop acting like Senator Scott hardly exists and learn from the expert who wrote the bill,” McConnell concluded.
NBC’s Frank Thorp criticized McConnell, arguing that Schumer had, in fact, mentioned Scott in his remarks.
Turns out McConnell wasn’t correct when he said Schumer didn’t mention Sen Tim Scott in his remarks y’day. In fact, he said this: “Want to be bipartisan, leader McConnell? Sit down, assemble a group — some from your side, maybe Senator Scott, who’s greatly respected…”
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) June 25, 2020
McConnell had not accused Schumer of not mentioning Scott, however — rather, he said that Schumer had failed to acknowledge Scott as the author of the bill.