U.S. Senate police reform vote fails as Democrats reject Republican bill

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - A Republican bill to rein in police misconduct in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis failed in the U.S. Senate yesterday, leaving congressional efforts to address racial inequities in American policing at an impasse.

Democrats, denouncing the measure as irrevocably flawed, defeated a Republican push to move to final debate by a vote of 55-45, short of the 60 votes needed, a month after Floyd’s death in police custody set off weeks of worldwide protests against police brutality.

The legislative fight over reform now moves to the House of Representatives, which plans to vote on a more sweeping Democratic bill on Thursday.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and other Senate Democrats said they believed Wednesday’s outcome makes it more likely that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the chamber’s top Republican, will agree to negotiations on a stronger bipartisan measure.

McConnell said he would schedule another vote if there was enough progress on closing Republican-Democratic differences.

President Donald Trump said he would not accept Democratic reforms and suggested the issue could end in stalemate. “If nothing happens with it, it’s one of those things. We have different philosophies,” he told reporters.

Floyd’s May 25 death in Minneapolis, after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, stirred strong public sentiment for stopping excessive force by police, especially against African Americans.

Civil rights leaders and activist groups, who called on the Senate to reject the Republican bill, have urged lawmakers to take up stronger measures.

Senate Democrats sought to seize the mantle of what they regard as a new U.S. civil rights movement.