Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., enthusiastically endorsed a police funding amendment offered by GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Al., Tuesday night, calling it a "gift.”
Tuberville, a first-term Republican, introduced Amendment 3113 during a Senate overnight session often called a “Vote-A-Rama," a series of rapid votes on amendments designed to get the Senate closer to a final vote.
“I call on my colleagues to support our law enforcement by voting yes on this amendment. Opposing my amendment is a vote in support of defunding the police and against the men and women in blue," Tuberville said in advance of the vote on his amendment.
Amendment 3113, would "establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to decreasing Federal funding for local jurisdictions that defund the police."
The measure passed the Senate 99-0 Tuesday. Senate Concurrent Resolution 14, with the Tuberville amendment attached, then passed the upper chamber 50-49.
Sen. Tuberville had hoped his amendment would have the opposite effect and have Senate Democrats show that they supported defunding the police. Democrats voted in lockstep with Republicans 99-0 on Tuberville's action.
Booker had trouble maintaining his composure.
"I am so excited!" Booker exclaimed. "This is perhaps the highlight of this long and painful and torturous night. This is a gift. If it wasn't [a] complete abdication of Senate procedures and esteem, I would walk over there and hug my colleague from Alabama."
The vote on Tuberville’s amendment, and several similar amendments brought by Republicans, provides Democratic legislators a way to counter accusations of their wanting the defund police, according to Forbes.
At the conclusion of the vote, Sen. Booker made good of his pledge. He walked across the Senate floor and hugged Tuberville.
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