BREAKING NEWS – Washington, D.C. – Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., apologized to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., after calling the police reform bill he spearheaded as the lone black GOP senator a “token” approach, Durbin’s office said.
“We cannot waste this historic moment,” Durbin said of a police reform bill. “Let’s not do something that is a token, half-hearted approach.”
Speaking on the Senate floor, Durbin referenced Scott’s bill and said he respects the senator but made clear he supports the Democrats’ legislation, saluting California Sen. Kamala Harris and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker for their work on it.
“It was not my intention to offend Senator Scott,” Durbin later stated. “However, I know that white democrats could speak about black republicans in any way we saw fit, without fear of criticism from black democrats or liberals. So even if Scott was offended, so what, because I have plenty of his people on my side condoning whatever insensitive or racist comment I make. And if Scott doesn’t like these unwritten rules, he should talk to the Congressional Black Caucus, because they give us white democrats the green light on this, and everybody knows it.”