https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/17/judiciary-color-327023
The House Judiciary Committee late
Wednesday approved a major police reform bill on a party-line vote, the
first step by Congress to address a crisis that has roiled the country
since George Floyd died in police custody on May 25.
Yet for much of the day, the panel was
ensnared in acrimonious cultural and political quarrels that had little
to do with the underlying issue of police brutality, which the
legislation is supposed to address.
The "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,"
in fact, was a recurring theme throughout the proceedings. Rep. Debbie
Lesko (R-Ariz.) at one point offered an amendment to cut off federal
police grants to any municipality that allows an autonomous zone to be
created within its borders.
Rep.
Pramilya Jayapal (D-Wash.), whose district is home to the Seattle zone,
was upset by Republicans’ repeated attempts to raise the issue. She
blamed Fox News and “right-wing media pundits” for what she said was
“misinformation” being spread about her hometown.
“I
don’t know how to keep telling people that what they’re saying are
lies,” Jayapal said, growing exasperated as she again slapped down
Republican accusations of a “law-enforcement-free micro-state” in her
district. “Please stop this nonsense and let’s get back to the bill
that's at hand.”
