Ilhan Omar Press Conference Transcript on Systemic Racism

Ilhan Omar: (00:00)
…who’s also with us and everyone who has been doing everything that they can to make sure that George Floyd’s death must not go in vain. Right now, in Congress, the Senate is sitting on a comprehensive bill to transform criminal justice and the policing system. All along with the Congressional Black Caucus, I helped lead the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. And because of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump, it’s being ignored. I guess the President would rather attack the people who are protesting than actually address the issues people are out here protesting for. And as my colleagues here will tell you, we are seeing the same here in Minnesota. Democrats in the State House have passed a bold package that meaningfully addresses police violence in our state, not only to be stonewalled by Republicans who would rather skip town than protect black lives.

Ilhan Omar: (01:16)
But we can’t stop at criminal justice reform, or policing reform, for that matter. We are not merely fighting to tear down the systems of oppression in the criminal justice system. We are fighting to tear down systems of oppression that exist in housing, in education, in healthcare, in employment, in the air we breathe. In America today, white families have 42% times more wealth than black families. When we say housing is a human right, we need to guarantee homes for all. When we are speaking to the fact that home ownership rates are nearly twice as high for white families as they are for black families, here in Minnesota it’s [triple 00:02:04] and people of color are more likely to face eviction and homelessness. When we introduce the Zero Waste Act or a Green New Deal, it is because we know that environmental racism is real. Whether it’s living near incineraries in North Minneapolis, proximity to power plants and factories, higher exposure to emission from polluting, the disproportionate harm that disasters like Hurricane Katrina cost the black communities, even access to basics like clean water, we are bearing the brunt of that environmental catastrophe.

Ilhan Omar: (02:51)
When we say healthcare is a human right, and that every American deserves free healthcare, we are speaking to the fact that black Minnesotans are more than 50% more likely to be uninsured than white Minnesotans. When America gets a cold, black Americans get pneumonia. Our communities are the ones that are bearing the burden of the coronavirus more than any other. People of color make up this proportionate share of low wage essential workers who’ve had to keep working in food production plants, grocery stores, and other workplaces, despite the risk to their lives. We’ve also faced higher rates of joblessness to the coronavirus crisis, while also suffering racialized police brutality and militarization.

Ilhan Omar: (03:51)
The mortality rate for black Minnesotans to COVID is twice as high as it is with other races. And for me, this is very personal because I lost my own father to the coronavirus. I see the pain and the havoc it’s wrecking on black communities in Minneapolis. We must recognize that these systems of oppression are linked. As long as our economy and political systems prioritize profit without considering who is profiting, who is being shut out, we will perpetuate this inequality. So, we cannot stop at criminal justice system. We must begin the work of dismantling the whole system of oppression, wherever we find it. And so with that, I will have Senator Jeff Hayden say a few words.

Jeff Hayden: (05:00)
Thank you, Congresswoman, and once again our sincere condolences to your family and your father. It brings it completely home. Okay. I was just saying to her. So, today it’s been 43 days…

Speaker 1: (05:18)
Sorry, you’re up against the mic.

Is that better?

Speaker 1: (05:22)
Yes, thank you.

Okay, one second. No problem. Today, it’s been 43 days since George Floyd was murdered at the hands of police. We must remember the murder of George Floyd at the hand of police officers because it wasn’t an isolated incident, but instead, a reflection of the inherent structural issues in our criminal justice system. It’s past time to build trust between the black community and law enforcement, and we must at the same time work to rebuild businesses and buildings impacted by the unrest following the death of George Floyd. I’m disappointed, frustrated, and troubled that instead of talking to us, the Republicans have decided to hold single, informational hearings on criminal justice.

Today, I’m proud to stand with my colleagues, Representative Omar, and say, we will not forget. We will not relent for the fight for justice. While some of us try to divide and hide and ignore the movement that has sparked outrage worldwide, we know how strong the movement is. We will stand with you. We’re here for partners in the fight for justice. As elected officials, I’m just not here talking about the folks here today, but I’m talking all elected officials, it’s our responsibility to pass legislation that holds institutions accountable when they legally murder black folks. George Floyd was murdered eight blocks from where I live and that could have easily been me. This has been a reality for too many black people for too long. Black people are sick and tired from suffering from people telling them to wait for change. What we’re seeing now is a movement that is building and not slowing down. Part of the reason that we’re here is because of inaction. The time for meaningful change is now. No more waiting, no more stalling, no more window dressing. Senator Gazelka, the majority leader in the Minnesota State Senate, keeps saying he wants to listen to people are calling for solutions. Well, I’ll tell you one thing. He’s failed to listen to the national loud-ranging echo that our criminal justice system needs transformational change to the change of systemic racism that has contributed to the deaths of black men and women. In fact, he’s failed to listen to the last four years because in the last four years, the Senate Republican has blocked 21 bills introduced by [DFLers 00:08:07] for criminal justice reform. We send a strong message. We are going to have sessions here next Monday. We want to send a strong message to our Senate Republican colleagues to get at the table, to find a solution, to negotiate in good faith and to pass these common sense structural transformational reforms to the criminal justice and law enforcement system. How many George Floyds have to die before we do so? Thank you. I think next up is my colleague, Representative [inaudible 00:08:47].

Rena Moran: (08:52)
All right. Good morning. So, we have had several press conference along with our People of Color Indigenous Caucus. We’ve held a press conference with the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and now we are standing before you with Congresswoman Omar. Quite frankly, personally, as a black woman and as a black mother who happens to be a black legislator, I am tired. I am tired of the injustices that we see that happens within the black community. Police brutality is not just a Minneapolis issue. It is a national issue. It is a world issue. And as we watch [a call 00:00:09:46] across the country, we know that this is bigger than Minneapolis. It is a state concern. It is a state issue. Police brutality is real, and it has disproportionately impacted black communities. So, Minnesotans across the state have rejected the dog whistle politics that aim to divide, and we continue to reject them until the Senate Republicans listen to the needs of Minnesotans, to the needs of communities of color, to the needs and requests of black, indigenous, Latino, and Asian legislators. That is what they need to do. And they also, most importantly, need to engage those families who have lost loved ones to police brutality. They need to hear the experiences of the black community. Those experiences from the black community have been ignored by the Senate. Those closest to the pain must have their voices uplifted and-

Rena Moran: (11:03)
… to the pain must have their voices uplifted and their experiences amplified. They need to hear our cries. They need to hear our pain. People are ready for leaders who care for all of us and who purpose in the office is to build a better future for all of us. People lives are not just a political game. We reject messages that work to exploit racial fears that turns people against each other in order to create a distrust of government and a collective solution. Republicans are making lost lives at the hands of police officers a sense of racial resentment and is facilitate those scaping, including attacks on immigrants and Muslims. We reject messages that are racist and are to divide and thus harm all of us. We are a state who are interconnected and it is that interconnectedness that bind us to a better Minnesota. A Minnesota who stands against police brutality and focus on police accountability.

Rena Moran: (12:15)
Why wouldn’t we want to make police accountability a priority? Why? Minnesotans no matter our color, our creed, or our zip code, all want communities where we can thrive. It’s just as simple as that. GOP members focus on the damages of property rather than the murders of their black and brown constituents by police. We can see past these distractions recognizing we are greater than the fear and the division we want to inspire in us. Whether you’re white, black, brown, Latina, Asian or indigenous, rural, suburban and Metro, Minnesotans are united for the justice of George Floyd. The Senate GOP is trying to distract us from their failure to deliver. Minnesotans want justice for George Floyd and all the other George Floyds, Philando Castile, and all the other unarmed men, women and children who have lost their lives at the hands of those who are sworn to serve and protect us. Yes, all of us.

Rena Moran: (13:33)
Minnesota is united in our call for justice for George Floyd. The Senate Republican hearing on lawlessness is an embarrassing attempt to distract us from the fact that they have failed to act. Minnesotans, we are greater than fear. Minnesotans want a governor who cares for all people, whether you’re a black, brown, white, disabled, or struggling with mental illness. Senate Republicans are now turning to the only tool left. Attempting to divide us based on what we look like, where we live, to distract from lives over property. People matter. Black, brown people matters. So I’m asking the Senate to stop taking our lives for granted. Stop trying to make us invisible. Lives are more important than property. The Senate GOP needs to show Minnesotans that we all need to be accountable for bad behavior. And that includes police officer who are sworn to serve and protect. And let me just be clear. We do know that not all police officers are bad officers. We also know that not all officers are good officers. And when the bad officers show up and do bad things, they make the good police officer look bad. When bad police officer show up with bad behavior, they make the institution of policing bad and distrusted.

Rena Moran: (15:15)
So the Senate GOP, I want to remind you that you are not just district legislators. You are state legislators. So let’s get to the business of representing every Minnesotan. Let’s make sure bad officers are held accountable for bad behavior because we owe that to every Minnesotan. I know and I do believe that together we can pass reasonable police accountability. You saw our legislation. We have a plan. They’re all reasonable legislation because we have to stop, we have to stop police brutality. We have to make police officer accountable. And now is the time. Thank you. [inaudible 00:16:12]

Ilhan Omar: (16:16)
Thank you, Representative Rena Moran. It is true that we are tired.

Rena Moran: (16:22)
Yes.

Ilhan Omar: (16:23)
It is true that we are in enormous pain. It is true that people are pouring in to the streets with fists up, but spirits not broken. And I witnessed that last night as I attended the fourth year anniversary of the death of Philando Castile. The vigil that the community held for him in reminder of how valued his life was to the enormity of the example, it shows that no matter how perfect you are, how much you follow your training and your instructions from your parents in interacting with the police, that you will still have bullets shot into you and your life taken. And so I just wanted to quickly recognize a voice that has been fighting to keep the memory of Philando Castile alive and the call to justice. And one that truly assures that we recognize, as he said last night, that our intelligence, our voice and our votes combined together can create transformative change for black people in this country. And that’s John Thompson.

Ilhan Omar: (18:21)
And so with that, we will take few questions if you all have, or if my other colleagues want to add anything.

Speaker 2: (18:31)
You talk about the progress being made toward law enforcement reform bill and what’s going on in the special sessions approaching. It seems like you’re putting a lot of pressure on your Republicans colleagues. What’s happening?

Ilhan Omar: (18:45)
I will let Jeff and Rena answer this question, but I think that is precisely why we are here today. It is to be part of that increased pressure. We represent the voices of those who feel marginalized in this lawmaking process. And so we want to make sure that we are translating everything that is happening to the streets to meaningful legislation. And as our colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to fight us, we are going to continue to Mount pressure because time is up on having that transformative change. Jeff?

Well, I couldn’t have said it much better than the Congresswoman. I think Representative Moran can give you kind of the updates from across the aisle. Personally, we haven’t heard from the GOP in any significant way about this issue. The pocket caucus hasn’t heard. There’s rumors that there’s some things that they may like or don’t like. But once again, I think you’ll remember when we had our time on the floor about this issue that the underlying issue was they never talked to us, that they know better. Senator Gazelka said, “Oh, I went to your district to talk to some people.” Senator [inaudible 00:20:09] said, “Oh, I know some people in Bobby Jones’ district.” But they didn’t talk to us. The actual people who represent folks. So until we can get that meaningful dialogue, I’m not sure how we can get things done. I’m not sure how we could get a binding deal passed.

I’m not sure how we could get all the things that we have left to do until we get meaningful reform. That’s what we in Minnesota saying. That’s what we hear black and brown and indigenous and Latino people saying. So that’s something that they need to work on. And until they do that, I’m not sure how they get done. This idea that Paul Gazelka knows best, that Bill Ingebrigtsen knows best, that Senator Newman knows best. I’m going to date myself. That’s that fathers knows best mentality. Well, none of them are my fathers and I think they need to talk to us to be able to find it. And we have put together common sense legislation in the Senate minority, and there has been extensive, extensive work in the House. I’ll let Representative Moran [inaudible 00:21:06] more tell you about that. That there’s a plethora of things that we could choose from, but there’s been no meaningful conversation and no meaningful negotiation to my knowledge.

Mary: (21:16)
Senator, can I quickly follow up [inaudible 00:21:16] Senator Gazelka thought maybe time would help. Talk to me about the [inaudible 00:21:25]

Well, it’s funny. We have Mr. Thompson, he was running for office over here and his best friend Philando was killed four years ago. Right? 43 days ago, George Floyd was killed. I don’t know what time. Time just seems a slowdown tactic. Once again, how many people have to get hurt or killed before we have meaningful, meaningful conversation? So no time hasn’t helped. Time would help, Mary, if they would have a conversation. But if they lack the communication skills, which doesn’t make any sense because he sits in front of you every week and has a conversation with you. So clearly, Senator Gazelka-

Senator Hayden: (22:03)
… sits in front of you every week and has a conversation with you, so clearly Senator Gazelka and others that are here at this capitol have great communication skills. They just choose not to talk to us.

Speaker 3: (22:09)
Senator, I want to followup on that too because someone here said, “Lives are more important than property.” I suspect the Senate Republicans would agree with that, but they will say that the lawlessness that occurred threatens lives as well as the damaged property and that needs to be addressed. How do you respond to that? You say that they’re misdirected, but isn’t that an important part of the conversation?

Well, let’s get at the reason why we have the problem. It’s because Derek Chauvin put his knee on George Floyd’s neck. That’s where this started. So if you want to start with the anti-violence and lawlessness, let’s start with the Minneapolis Police Department and the unfortunate way that they’ve been treating black and brown people. So if we want to get to the root of it, let’s start there and then we can start to figure out what we need to do to rebuild our communities. But if we don’t start with meaningful law enforcement transformation and structural change, then how can we get to the other things?

Speaker 3: (23:01)
And how do you unlock the politics of this? Because you know that the Senate Republicans are one of the most popular constituents. I assume they’ve evaluated that their constituents are more concerned about the law and order aspect of it than the police brutality aspect, so they’re looking for the fall elections just as you folks are. How do you get this office [inaudible 00:23:20]?

So you just said the law enforcement aspect of this. So are they messaging in their communities that it’s okay to put their neck on a black man’s throat? Is it okay to shoot a man that has already told you that he’s not doing anything? Is that law and order? Is that what they’re messaging to their constituents? I don’t think that that’s what I hear Minnesotans say. I don’t just hang around Senate District 62. My parents live in the Western suburbs. I’m a deputy minority leader. I get around the state and I haven’t heard anybody say and object to the common sense things that the packages that we put together. So if their message is law and order, then the first thing we should do is to have the law and order, the peace officers were sworn for law order to make sure that they abide by the law and they don’t do the things that they did to black and brown people here.

Speaker 4: (24:01)
Senator Hayden, if I can ask you and Representative Moran, too, did I interpret you, sir, as far as what you’re saying that you might block a bonding bill or hold up other legislation unless this police accountability piece comes? Therefore [inaudible 00:00:24:15]?

Let me speak for us and our caucus. We’re prepared not to vote for the bombing bill if things don’t get done. I can’t speak for the House’s strategy. There’s a lot of power there, but we have made that there’s not meaningful negotiations on the enforcement, we are prepared not to vote for the bonding bill.

Speaker 4: (24:34)
Representative Moran.

Rena Moran: (24:36)
So what we are seeing in the House of Representatives is … let me just be clear that the people of color in this caucus is a value based caucus who do our work through a race equity lens because we know and we believe that race matters, that laws and policies or laws and policies can be ignored when they deal with our race. And so that’s a value that we strong on and that the work that we do has to be done through social, economic, environmental, racial justice lens.

Rena Moran: (25:06)
And so for us, looking at the number of black folks who have been killed by those who have been given the inherent right and power to serve and protect, it’s not okay. It’s not okay. As me as a mother back in my neighborhood who has to have those talks with my black sons and my daughters, and it’s not okay for me as a legislator here in this capital who came here to fight for laws and policies that are fair and just.

Rena Moran: (25:37)
Because we have a long history of creating Jim Crow laws and other laws that are not fair and just. We’ve had a long history in this capital and capitals across the country of devaluing in certain people’s lives. That is the history that we’re trying to dismantle. We need institutional change. We need systemic change. So yes, that matters to us. And if we have to withhold or fight for what we believe is right for every Minnesotan that’s black, is brown, that’s Latina, that’s Asian, and an indigenous, that is what we’re willing to do today and tomorrow and moving forward because that is a value that we can bring us together as one unit, as one caucus.

Speaker 5: (26:23)
Representative Moran, have you had contact with your colleagues in the Senate? Chairs? Have you seen anything productive between the last public sessions and next [inaudible 00:26:32]?

Rena Moran: (26:31)
So as you know or may not know, that we was in negotiations, I believe it was on June 19th, and they gave us an offer. In an offer was they said to us that this is your final offer, but it was also our first offer. It was also the first offer. And they also said to us that you can not change anything in the offer that we have put in front of you. Well, that’s not negotiation and that is not how you negotiate in this building. And so we did a counter offer and we waited and we waited and we waited and we are still waiting. I have not had any encounters in regards to a negotiation process with any of the Senate Republicans. We are trying to do our due diligence about engaging the law enforcement, the sheriff’s association, and many others about creating policies that are common sense policies, that just make sense, that we believe that through this conversation with the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association, with the Minnesota Police Association, that we are making some headway.

Rena Moran: (27:44)
I think I’ve shared Mariani may have sat down with Senator Gazelka to got some conversations, and we’re doing our part to make sure that we’re talking and engaging others in this process because it is that important to us, and now is the time to do that. But as a collective through a real negotiation process? That has not happened.

Speaker 6: (28:08)
Representative, given this stalemate or whatever you want to call it, Senate Republicans seem to be willing to move on some things like choke holds, use of force. They don’t want to go to arbitration. They don’t want to go to the residency requirements and those kinds of things. Given this, why not at least agree to those pieces that they want to in this next special session at least get something done instead of coming out of it again with nothing [inaudible 00:28:34]?

Rena Moran: (28:36)
Well, I did say we made a counter offer. We made a counter offer. We’re waiting for our response to that counter offer. If that is what you believe that they want to do, then they need to come back to the table and man up on what they believe that they want to move to keep all Minnesotans safe and keep a police officer accountable. And so we’re waiting for that response.

Let me add this. Why is it that what they want is the right thing we should do? Why is it not what we want, what the people say we want, the people who are at the end of the boot and the end of the bullet, why is it not what they want is the right thing to do? So why is it if you think about it, the frame that Senator Gazelka and Newman and Ingebrigtsen and others have put through is the frame of them. It’s to say, “Here’s what we want. Here’s what greater Minnesota looks like. Here’s what our district wants.” But they’re not the ones that are getting shot and killed and stomped on and choked. So why are we not listening to them and why are they not coming to meet us to be able to do the things that Minnesota wants so that we can start dealing with people? Why is it the framing, and even with all due respect to you guys, why do we ask questions out of that frame? Why don’t we ask the frame out of the people who are they there?

I think most of you guys have been to 38th and Chicago. You’ve been to Lake Street. You’ve seen this kind of stuff. You see what people want, and though it’s a lot of people of color that are there, but that’s six blocks from my house, eight blocks from my house. I’ve seen them walk up and down and it’s Minnesotans, lots of white Minnesotans. So why don’t we ask the frame out of that and post the question to Senator Gazelka that says, “How come there hasn’t been a Limmer or a Newman to say instead of taking the time burning up here to have a hearing? And if you mind you, the hearings that they’re having doesn’t have anybody on the POCI caucus on the committee with exception of Senator Franzen? Nobody from Minneapolis, and we have to push Senator Torres into that. Why is it that? Why don’t we ask that question of them?

Representative Omar: (30:35)
And I would say actually even more to that, how is it that we are always expected to negotiate ourselves out of the negotiations? How is it that we’re expected to negotiate the interests of our communities, the equality for our communities, the justice for our communities out of any sort of legislation that is supposed to move? This is the question that we are always asked. How come you’re not compromising? Compromise has brought us here. Compromise has brought the kind of oppressive system that allows for someone like George Floyd to get the life stifled out of him for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

So what the question should be that you should ask the Senate Republicans and even our Senate counterpart in Congress is to say, “How come you are not negotiating with them? How come you are not listening to the voices that have been marginalized for decades and centuries in this country? How come you are not listening to the cries of the mothers and the fathers in our communities? How come you are not listening to the people who are telling you that we don’t feel like our lives matter equally in this country?” Because when you have legislators who are living every single day in the midst of communities that are constantly feeling pain, being told by legislators who have no idea, not a single idea, not because they’ve lived through it or because they represent people living through it, constantly telling them what should be and what can be acceptable treatment for themselves and for the communities that they represent. And I just think that is really the most emblematic part of this conversation and it’s truly why we continue to have a system that isn’t equal for us.

When we saw the statue of Columbus come down-

Columbus come down. There was conversations happening about how other people felt and nothing was being amplified by the people who took it down who saw it as a symbol of oppression for themselves. And so when do we, as a society, uplift and uphold the pain and the struggles of the people who are actually living through a system that doesn’t recognize them as equal, a system that doesn’t recognize the systematic trauma that they have been through, a system that doesn’t recognize the continued pain and invisibility and lack of care that they feel every single day? Any more questions, or should we close?

Speaker 7: (33:54)
Is the health leadership on board, Representative Moran?

Rena Moran: (34:00)
Yes. We have had and continue to have absolutely support by Speaker Hortman. Our leadership is there 100% on moving police accountability and our [inaudible 00:01:20]. You saw the bill pass off the House floor with great support. So we are there and we know the meaning and the value of justice and justice for all, right? They get it, they’re leading it, and they are also in conversation. So yes.

Speaker 8: (34:33)
To clarify, are you talking about opposing a bonding bill if we don’t get a police reform bill? You were asked that before-

Rena Moran: (34:35)
Yes.

Speaker 9: (34:44)
And the Speaker is on board with you on that-

Rena Moran: (34:47)
What I’m speaking to as far as the people of color, indigenous POC, yes. Right. That is our stance.

Speaker 10: (34:54)
[inaudible 00:34:58].

Well, I mean, and I think Congresswoman Omar just said it, Representative Daudt, Minority Leader Daudt wants you to negotiate the people’s health, the health of Minnesotans for a bonding bill. We just saw-

But not to save the lives.

Yeah, not to save the lives, to harm them more. We just saw in Texas, Florida, Arizona, South Carolina went through the roof. The COVID numbers went through the absolute roof. I watch it pretty closely, I serve on all the health care committees. So Daudt is willing to negotiate a way to help the Minnesotans in order to get a bonding bill. And Gazelka is willing not to do law enforcement reform in order to say, “Well, I guess that we won’t get a bill.”

I just think that the GOP’s ideas of what they should do is so incredibly misplaced with what Minnesotans are telling us throughout the state, that I would hope that they could understand that it is really important that the governor continues to have his peace time authority for a whole myriad of reasons, to make sure that we’re healthy and safe and that people get their unemployment benefits, et cetera. And at the same time, Senator Gazelka stops race baiting, stops playing into what he considers to be the hands of his base, recognizing that people want law enforcement reform. And then we can continue to make Minnesotans healthy, we can continue to get law enforcement reform, and we can get an infrastructure bill. It’s pretty simple to me. So it’s the complication of the GOP doubling, tripling, quadrupling down on this issue that they’re going to make Minnesotans worse in order to do this. Okay. One more.

Speaker 11: (36:53)
[inaudible 00:04:05].

Rena Moran: (36:53)
So what we know and what we’ve learned from Commissioner Harrington is that 60% of the use of force has happened out in the rural community. So for them to even start from a place of this is a Minneapolis problem, that’s incorrect. Over 60% of use of force has happened in the rural community. And I just want to ducktail back on Representative Daubt. And I don’t know if you know, but I know as one who has sat in this Capitol and as we wear a mask, we have not seen one Republican put a mask on, who have not social distancing. All the health professionals, because CDC has said we need to do this. If the governor was to use [inaudible 00:38:09] and relinquish any of his executive power, we would not be able to move anything through this body. Nothing would happen through this body.

Rena Moran: (38:20)
I am glad that the governor has the executive power that has kept us safe, safer than we would have been if we had not, if he had not put many of all the orders in place. So they live in additional world often, a world that they believe is all about them. They are only feeding themselves to a small base of people. But the majority of our Minnesotans are saying to us, “Wear your masks, socially distance, be safe. Because this is not just about me, this is about all the people that I will come encounter.” That’s a whole nother subject. And so, for the Kurt Daudts of the world who believe that this is not real, it’s just a fluke, I don’t know what data they’re looking at, but it’s incorrect. And we would never get anything moved in the House of Representatives or the Senate if the government was to even think about relinquishing any of that executive power. So I stand with the government.

Speaker 10: (39:32)
[ inaudible 00:39:31].

Rena Moran: (39:32)
We have two different ideologies, right? We have Republicans who believe that this is just a little cold or a flu or something, right? With all the experts have told us different, who said this virus, just so I can share with you guys, I’ve also had COVID-19 the first week of April, right? COVID-19 just did not impact me, impact my whole family, everyone in my household. That is the power of this coronavirus. And so the ideology about let civil liberty play its way out is not just a good way to deal with coronavirus because we can easily be a Florida. We can easily be a New York or a California. We could have easily been there and we could have easily had so, so many more deaths. And so if we want to ever be where other countries are at right now where we have seen the coronavirus, the spike go down, we have to listen to the health professionals. We have to. And we’ll get there, but we won’t get there if we open up too soon, too fast, and too quickly.

Speaker 12: (41:06)
All right. Thank you. I think that’s all we have time for today.

Speaker 11: (41:06)
And I’m so sorry about the loss of your father.

Ilhan Omar Press Conference Transcript on Systemic Racism

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