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Sen. Booker says meaningful progress has been made in police reform negotiations

Senate Biden Judges
Posted at 12:47 PM, May 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-24 15:00:28-04

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said key lawmakers involved in police reform negotiations have made meaningful progress.

But he said Democrats and Republicans aren't budging when it comes to qualified immunity, which protects officers from civil lawsuits.

"This means that in the United States of America, any profession, that where you violate in a serious way, the civil rights of another American should someone be shielded?" Sen. Booker asked. "This is not about going after good officers. This is about when officers have breached the civil rights of a, of a, of another American citizen."

President Biden had hoped to get a bipartisan bill by this week, but Booker said that deadline won't be possible.

Democratic Rep. Karen Bass and Republican Sen. Tim Scott are part of the group working on the legislation.

This story was originally published by Robin Dich and Alex Livingston at Newsy.