Antifa, Big Tech, and abortion: Republicans bring culture war to police brutality debate

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.”