Senator Cory Booker’s Sarcastic Response To Defund Police Amendment

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) gave an impassioned (albeit sarcastic) reply to an amendment posed by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) late Tuesday, who attempted a political stunt that blew up in his face.

During debate on a $3.5 billion budget proposal that would eventually clear the Senate on party lines, the former football coach proposed an amendment that would block funds to municipalities that attempt to defund the police. Tuberville’s clear intent was to get Democrats on record about their support for a movement that is deeply unpopular, according to public polling.

The problem is no Democrats in the Senate support the movement. Even Senator Bernie Sanders, who has said he’d like money from police budgets redirected towards social services, education, and mental health agencies, has made it clear he doesn’t agree with the push by some progressives.

So if Tuberville was fishing for a vote that would embarrass Democrats, he instead gave them an opportunity to debunk the claim that they have an anti-police attitude.

This all led to a satirical response from Booker. Here’s part of what the New Jersey Democrat said (but we encourage you to watch above to see the level of Booker’s excitement):

This is a gift. If it wasn’t a complete abdication of Senate procedures and esteem I would walk over there and hug my colleague from Alabama, and I will tell you right now thank God because there are some people who have said there are members of this deliberative body that want to defund the police, to my horror and now this Senator has given us the gift that finally once and for all we can put to bed this scurrilous accusation that somebody in this great, esteemed body would want to defund the police.

So let’s all us – a hundred people – not walk, but sashay down there and vote for this amendment and put to rest the lies that I am sure I will see no political ads attacking anybody here over defund the police. And I would ask unanimous consent to add something else to this obvious bill. Can we add also that every senator here wants to us to fund the police, believe in God, country, and apple pie?

The amendment passed 99 to 0, with all Democrats voting yes. So now let’s see if the Republicans stop accusing Democrats of trying to defund the police.