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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 17 June 2020
Continued from Front in police departments na- os. Without law there is an-
But Trump, who has faced tionwide. archy and without safety
criticism for failing to ac- Democrats and other crit- there is catastrophe," he
knowledge systemic racial ics said Trump's measure said.
bias and has advocated for doesn't go far enough. Trump's audience included
rougher police treatment House Speaker Nancy Pe- police officials and mem-
of suspects in the past has losi said it "falls sadly and bers of Congress, and
continued to emphasize seriously short of what is came after he met private-
his support for law enforce- required to combat the ly at the White House with
ment. At the signing event, epidemic of racial injustice the families of men and
he railed against those who and police brutality that women who have been
committed violence during is murdering hundreds of killed in interactions with
the largely peaceful pro- Black Americans." police.
tests and made no mention "During this moment of na- "To all of the hurting fami-
of racism, while lambasting tional anguish, we must lies, I want you to know that Attorney General William Barr listens as President Donald Trump
Democrats in an election insist on bold change, not all Americans mourn by speaks during an event on police reform, in the Rose Garden of
year. meekly surrender to the your side," Trump said. "Your the White House, Tuesday, June 16, 2020, in Washington.
Trump's executive order bare minimum," she said. loved ones will not have Associated Press
would establish a database Kristina Roth at Amnesty died in vain."
that tracks police officers International USA said the The Rose Garden an- posed changes to policing ment to another without
with excessive use of force order "amounts to a Band- nouncement comes as procedures from the party public oversight of their re-
complaints in their records. Aid for a bullet wound" at a Senate Republicans are long aligned with Trump's cords.
And it would give police time when "this moment is preparing their own pack- "law and order" approach. The Democrats have a simi-
departments a financial calling for transformational age of policing chang- "Now is the time to seek bold lar provision.
incentive to adopt best change of policing." es following a rollout by and broad-scale change," Yet the Republican bill
practices and encourage Florida Democratic Rep. Democrats. Sen. Tim Scott Senate Democratic leader does not go as far as the
co-responder programs, in Val Demings, a former Or- of South Carolina, the sole Chuck Schumer of New Democrats do on the issue
which social workers join lando police chief who is African American Repub- York said Monday. of eliminating qualified im-
police when they respond seen as a potential vice- lican in the Senate, has With the political debate munity, which would allow
to nonviolent calls involving presidential running mate been crafting the GOP fluid, it is unclear whether those injured by law en-
mental health, addiction for Democrat Joe Biden, legislative package, which the parties will be able to forcement personnel to sue
and homeless issues. praised the executive or- will include new restrictions find common ground. The for damages. The White
Trump said that, as part of der as "on the right track," on police chokeholds and proposals emerging from House has said that is a
the order, the use of choke- but she criticized Trump greater use of police body Democrats and Republi- step too far. As an alterna-
holds would be banned for failing to acknowledge cameras, among other cans share many similar tive, Scott has suggested a
"except if an officer's life racism in acts of police bru- provisions. provisions but take differ- "decertification" process for
is at risk." However, senior tality and failing to engage Senate Majority Leader ent approaches on some officers involved in miscon-
administration officials said the Justice Department in Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., issues. Neither bill goes as duct.
the order would instead police reforms. has called the effort "a seri- far as some activists want One large police union, the
promote certification bod- Trump, meanwhile, framed ous proposal to reform law in their push to "defund the influential Fraternal Order
ies that train officers in de- his plan as an alternative enforcement." police" by fully revamping of Police, said in a state-
escalation techniques and to the "defund the po- While the emerging GOP departments. ment it is working with Con-
use-of-force standards lice" movement that has package isn't as extensive Central to the Republican gress and the White House
that prohibit chokeholds emerged from the protests as sweeping Democratic package would be the on the proposals, having
"except in those situations and which he slammed as proposals, which are head- creation of the national provided "feedback" on
where deadly force is al- "radical and dangerous." ed for a House vote next database to improve trans- the Democratic bill and
lowed by law." Chokeholds "Americans know the truth: week, it includes perhaps parency so officers cannot "substantial input" on the
are already largely banned Without police there is cha- the most far-reaching pro- transfer from one depart- emerging GOP package.q
Coal union seeks order protecting miners from coronavirus

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) and health of tens of thou- air is circulated over long
— A union representing sands of miners in "grave distances. "Working in a
U.S. coal miners asked a danger," the petition said. mine is very different from
court Tuesday to force the "The situation confronting working in any other work-
federal government to miners is urgent," the pe- place," Roberts said.
take unspecified measures tition said. "Miners have UMW spokesman Phil Smith
to protect them from the largely been designated said there have been 10
coronavirus. as 'essential' workers and known cases of union
The petition asked the U.S. thus are currently work- members who have con-
Circuit Court of Appeals ing at mine sites across tracted the virus, with no
for the District of Colum- the country. Further, as fatalities. The majority of
bia for an expedited order government-imposed stay- U.S. coal is produced at
against the U.S. Mine Safe- at-home orders are lifted nonunion mines.
ty and Health Administra- and demand for mine-pro- While MSHA continues to
tion. It was filed by the Unit- duced resources increas- In this March 11, 2018, file photo, Cecil Roberts, president of perform mandatory in-
ed Mine Workers and the es, more miners will return United Mine Workers of America, speaks at the Greene County spections and serious ac-
United Steelworkers unions. to work at pre-pandemic Fairgrounds in Waynesburg, Pa. cident investigations, the
If MSHA fails to issue an levels." Associated Press agency has suspended
emergency temporary An MSHA spokeswoman some on-site mine visits and
standard for infectious dis- did not immediately re- tilation regulations are not said in a statement that other safety and fatality
eases that would be legal- spond to a request for designed to prevent the social distancing measures initiatives under President
ly binding on all mine oper- comment. spread of a virus. UMW are meaningless in under- Donald Trump's national
ators, it would put the lives The petition said mine ven- President Cecil Roberts ground coal mines, where emergency declaration.q