With the announcement that Minneapolis’s city council had agreed to disband police departments, the national conversation between lawmakers has now turned to whether or not they agree with extending this to the entire United States, leaving one Democratic congresswoman in Florida facing a tough re-election challenge.
President Trump (R) has signaled his support for police and Joe Biden (D) has also noted that he does not support abolishing police departments, House Democrats like Rep. Lois Frankel in Florida may sway may be swayed into support the anti-Police measure.
Rep. Frankel released a statement voicing her support for the Justice in Policing Act, arguing that “America is experiencing a moment of national anguish, as we grieve for those killed by police brutality and racial injustice” and affirming that “our police should be guardians, not warriors.” As well, she noted that “this new legislation… increases police accountability and improves transparency in order to safeguard every American’s right to safety and justice.”
Frankel has not called for the abolition of the police, but this very same bill that she cosponsored is supported by all of the radial progressives in Congress that do support the bill and point to it as being the first step in the bigger anti-Police initiative.
In response to Frankel's bill, Laura Loomer (R), who is challenging Frankel for her congressional seat, said that “removing qualified immunity for law enforcement would open a Pandora’s box of litigation that will bankrupt local governments and eradicate community police departments.” Moreover, “defunding the police is the ultimate goal of the left, and this legislation is a backdoor way to accomplish that by burdening police with expensive litigation.” Questioning if Frankel would “support removing immunity for members of Congress?,” Loomer concluded that Frankel wouldn’t because “it’s ludicrous.”
Similarly, Karen Giorno, former 2016 Trump Senior Advisor and Florida Chief Strategist who is also Loomer’s current Campaign Chief, stated that Frankel’s support for the bill “is a reactionary move to placate radicals.” Citing Frankel’s “nearly eight years in office,” Giorno concluded that “Frankel has been an absentee congresswoman.” “Of the four bills Frankel has ever introduced and passed, three of those came after Laura Loomer entered the race and criticized Frankel’s ‘do nothing’ service in Congress,” she explained.
Ultimately, Giorno believes that Frankel has not been effective as a lawmaker, detailing that she is “placating to the mob at the expense of the majority of police officers who bravely protect and serve their communities.”
