Republicans Scramble to Respond to Public Opinion Shift on Police Reform

Strategic Insights -

As the killings of unarmed black Americans by the police and subsequent protests continue to dominate the national conversation, Congressional Republicans are struggling to coalesce around a legislative response. The party, long associated with the "law and order" agenda, has been caught off guard by the speed and extent to which public opinion has shifted in recent days. President Trump's incendiary response, including calls for military and police crackdowns on protesters and conspiracy theories, has placed Republicans on the defensive.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has acknowledged the need for a legislative response, but has yet to fashion a party position. Senator Tim Scott, the lone black Republican member, has been tasked with leading a group of senators to draft a conservative response.

Meanwhile, a group of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee is exploring proposals to reimagine police training, increase accountability for officers who use improper force, and collect new data to track police behavior. However, privately, Republican lawmakers and aides have conceded that they have few proposals ready and are racing to reach a consensus on how to proceed.

Key Takeaways:

  • Republicans are struggling to respond to a significant shift in public opinion on police reform, with huge majorities of Americans, including white Americans, now believing that policing must change.
  • The party is divided, with some lawmakers indicating that they are open to changing the legal doctrine known as qualified immunity that shields police officers from being held liable for constitutional rights violations.
  • Senator Tim Scott will lead a group of senators to draft a conservative response to the crisis, which will focus on collecting data and promoting accountability for police misconduct.
  • A House vote on the Democrats' bill is expected by the end of the month, which would make it easier to track, prosecute, and punish police misconduct, ban chokeholds, and restrict the use of deadly force by officers.
  • Senate Republicans are feeling pressure from multiple directions, including a newly confident Democratic Party and constituents who are demanding meaningful action on police reform.
  • Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, has privately indicated that his conference could support proposals to collect more data about instances of police misconduct, create new training standards for officers, and give departments the ability to more easily fire problematic officers.

Statistics:

  • 70% of Americans view the killing of George Floyd as indicative of a broader problem with law enforcement, up from 42% in 2014 following the police killing of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo. (Washington Post)
  • 75% of Americans say that police reform is necessary, including 68% of white Americans. (Washington Post)
  • A poll shows that 55% of Americans believe that the police treat white and black people differently, while 67% of black Americans say that they have been treated unfairly by the police. (Washington Post)
  • The Democratic Party's bill on police reform has the support of 70% of Americans, including 60% of white Americans. (Washington Post)

Sources:

  • Washington Post
  • New York Times
  • House Judiciary Committee
  • Senate Republicans
  • White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
  • Attorney General William P. Barr
  • Representative Jim Jordan (OH)
  • Representative Kevin McCarthy (CA)
  • Senator Tim Scott (SC)
  • Senator Mitch McConnell (KY)