The slogan, ‘Defund The Police,’ has been a point of contention between citizens and Congressional representatives alike. Many voters agree there needs to be some oversight in policing, but there’s some disconnect on how to get there–even within the Democratic party.
Last week, Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) stood by the slogan while acknowledging that the mechanism for doing so must be better explained to the public. The method of “defunding” is more so “reforming”–allocating money to social programs and mental health professionals.
According to Politico, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed back against the “defund” model and stated on ABC’s “This Week” that it’s not a Democratic Party position.
“Make no mistake, community safety is our responsibility,” Pelosi said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I quote one of my colleagues from New York, Ritchie Torres, a brand new member of Congress way on the left, saying that ‘defund the police’ is dead. That causes a concern with a few in our caucus. But public safety is our responsibility.”
“That’s not the position of the Democratic Party, with all due respect to Cori Bush,” Pelosi said. “Community safety to protect and defend in every way is our oath of office.”
Speaker Pelosi echoed words by first-term Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres, who claimed that the “Defund The Police” was dead in an interview last week.
“The defund police movement is dead in New York City — and good riddance,” Torres said. “And any elected official who’s advocating for the abolition and/or even the defunding of police is out of touch with reality and should not be taken seriously.”
Rep. Torres also backed Mayor Eric Adams and President Joe Biden’s anti-gun plans regarding New York City.
The majority of guns recovered in New York City crime scenes are coming from the South, are coming through the ‘iron pipeline’ from the South to the Northeast,” he said. “We need more action on the part of the federal government. We need the federal government to crack down on the iron pipeline.”