Bass ‘hopeful’ on passing police reform: ‘Republicans that I am working with are operating in good faith’

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) on Sunday said she is “hopeful” that Congress will come together to pass police reform in the wake of two recent fatal police shootings of people of color.

When asked where things stand on negotiations for a bipartisan deal on police reform, Bass told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” that she is hopeful “because the group of people where we have been having just informal discussions are very sincere, and it’s a bipartisan group.”

She continued, saying “I believe that we want to make something happen.”

Rep. Karen Bass on police reform: “All communities deserve to be protected and served by law enforcement and you shouldn’t have law enforcement that protects and serves one community and acts as though they’re in a war zone in another community … that’s what we have.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/KTsmzXLdkz

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) April 18, 2021

The comments come after the fatal shootings of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn., and 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago, both by police officers.

The House last month passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in a 220-212 vote, with no Republicans supporting the measure.

Two Democrats also voted against the measure.

Bass, who previously chaired the Congressional Black Caucus, said she a bipartisan group of senators led by Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are “continuing to work together to find a solution that will garner the supermajority that is needed to pass legislation in the Senate.”

When pressed by Bash on if Republicans are “operating in good faith” on the issue of police reform, Bass said she believes her colleagues across the aisle she is working with are doing so.

“I believe that the Republicans that I am working with are operating in good faith. And I do think there’s other examples. I’m fortunate to work on a couple of other issues that I work fine with my Republican colleagues,” Bass said.

Bass did, however, recognized the challenge her Democratic colleagues now face in passing police reform in the Senate, calling it a “super hurdle.”

“It’s one thing to pass legislation in the House. It’s a super hurdle to get it passed in the Senate. But we are working,” Bass said.

Bass specifically said Congress needs to ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and create a registry of problem officers.

“You know, all communities deserve to be protected and served by law enforcement. And you shouldn’t have law enforcement that protects and serves one community and acts as though they’re in a war zone in another community, and treating everybody in that community as though they’re criminals,” she added.

On Thursday, the defense rested their case in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged with the murder of Floyd.

Chauvin was captured on video footage last May kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The Hennepin County medical examiner later ruled Floyds death a homicide.