Biden touts support for law enforcement in fiery speech, blasts Democrats who wanted to defund police

President Joe Biden traveled to Pennsylvania on Tuesday where he preached a pro-police message and reiterated his call for a ban on “assault weapons” in the United States, despite many Democrats calling for defunding police and the inability of the Democratic-controlled House to pass it. legislation that would improve funding for state and local police departments.

Speaking in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to a crowd of supporters gathered at Wilkes University, Biden touted his administration’s supposed efforts to support law enforcement officials across the country.

Speaking about the importance of law enforcement in the United States, Biden declared: “There is no place in this country, no place, to put the lives of law enforcement officers in danger. No place. No place. , never, period.”

“I’m against defunding the police, I’m also against defunding the FBI,” he said.

BIDEN FRONT AND CENTER WITH OZ TAKING FETTERMAN IN PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BATTLE

President Joe Biden speaks at the Arnaud C. Marts Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S., Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022.
(Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden also took aim at Republicans in Congress and their support for law enforcement, claiming they “cannot be a party of law and order” while calling those “who attacked the police on January 6”.

“Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress: Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you don’t condemn what happened on the 6th. Don’t tell me. I can’t do it. For God’s sake, Which side are you on,” Biden said. “You’re on the side of the mob or the side of the police… You can’t be a party of law and order and call people patriots who attacked the police on January 6. . You can’t do that. What are we teaching our children?”

Despite his remarks on Tuesday, Biden’s own party has failed to pass meaningful, bipartisan legislation in the House that would increase funding for law enforcement officials across the country.

Earlier this month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delayed for a second time police funding legislation known as the Invest to Protect Act.

BIDEN TURNS PA POLICY SPEECH INTO POLITICAL EVENT, URGES PUBLIC TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRAT LIST OF CANDIDATES

Rep. Chris Pappas, DN.H., one of the lawmakers pushing the measure, told Fox News Digital after the delay was announced that he wanted the House to consider the enforcement legislation as soon as possible.

Rep. Chris Pappas, DN.H., participates in the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“From the COVID-19 pandemic to the ongoing addiction crisis and spikes in crime and violence, our law enforcement officials and first responders need additional support to meet the needs of our communities and keep people safe,” Pappas said. “They can’t do it alone, and that’s why in Congress I’ve led the fight to bring additional funding and support to our first responders and law enforcement.”

In January, Pappas said the bipartisan legislation would “secure funding for small police departments to improve training and standards, recruit and retain officers, acquire body camera data storage and provide mental health resources for officers.”

In a press release earlier this month, Pelosi noted that more negotiations were needed to reach an agreement on the police funding bill before it could be voted on.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S., Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022.
(Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Before taking office, Biden suggested on the campaign trail that he would “absolutely” agree with efforts to redirect some police funding, a suggestion he later returned to when he took aim at Republicans and claimed in July 2021 that they were “lying” about the efforts promoted by members of the Democratic Party to “Defund the Police.”

At the time, Biden claimed he had “never said get rid of the police” and argued that “we need more cops, not less cops” despite his previous support for the reallocation of funds.

Kamal Harris in June 2020, was selected as Biden’s running mate, applauded Los Angeles’ decision to pull $150 million in funding from the Los Angeles Police Department, although she never fully endorsed the defunding of the police movement.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Several progressive members of Congress, including “squadReps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., have called for the dismantling or defunding of police departments.

Omar he called that the Minneapolis Police Department be dismantled because it is “rotten to the core.”

Aubrie Spady of Fox News contributed to this article.