NATIONAL NEWS

Biden says US needs to ‘fund the police’ for public safety

Aug 30, 2022, 2:34 PM | Updated: Sep 6, 2022, 11:13 am

US President Joe Biden participates in a reception for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in B...

US President Joe Biden participates in a reception for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Bethesda, Maryland, on August 25, 2022. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

(CNN) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday traveled to the key political battleground state of Pennsylvania to promote his proposal to bolster police forces across the nation and reduce gun crime, which includes hiring and training 100,000 police officers over the next five years.

“When it comes to public safety in this nation, the answer is not defund the police, it’s fund the police,” Biden told a crowd in Wilkes-Barre.

Biden said, “I’m tired of not giving the kind of help they need. Folks, look, we’re in a situation in this country where we have to give them additional resources they need to get their job done.”

Biden is expected to renew his push for a federal ban on assault weapons as the White House attempts to seize on the momentum spurred by Congress passing the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades earlier this summer.

The President was initially scheduled to unveil his “Safer America Plan” last month in Pennsylvania but his trip was postponed after he tested positive for Covid-19 the morning he was slated to fly to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

The plan asks Congress to appropriate more than $10 billion in funding over five years for the COPS Hiring Program in order to help fund the hiring and training of the additional police officers.

The President has repeatedly rejected calls from some Democrats and activists to “defund the police” and cut budgets to police departments and reallocate funding to social services to respond to non-violent crimes. The movement grew to national prominence following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

The President’s Tuesday visit to Pennsylvania will be the first of three appearances in the key battleground state over the next week. Biden is slated to deliver a primetime address in Philadelphia on Thursday and scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh on Labor Day.

Biden’s unofficial midterm campaign kickoff took place last week, when he offered one of his sharpest rebukes of MAGA Republicans and told a group of Democratic donors that the “entire philosophy that underpins” the Make America Great Again agenda is “semi-fascism.”


The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

KSL 5 TV Live

National News

The cargo ship Dali is seen stuck in the remains of the Key Bridge as workers remove debris at the ...

Christina Maxouris, CNN

Body of 6th person killed in Baltimore bridge collapse has been recovered, authorities say

Salvage teams have recovered the body of the sixth – and believed to be the final – victim killed in the March 26 Baltimore bridge collapse, authorities announced Tuesday, marking a grim milestone in the weekslong recovery operation that followed the disaster.

46 minutes ago

Head coach Lynne Roberts of the Utah Utes....

Josh Furlong, KSL.com

Prosecutors won’t charge man who yelled racial epithets at Utah basketball team

Coeur d'Alene prosecutors have declined to charge an 18-year-old high school student who confessed to yelling racial epithets at the University of Utah women's basketball team.

2 hours ago

Zendaya attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metro...

Jocelyn Noveck, AP National Writer

Inside the Met Gala: A fairytale forest, woodland creatures, and some starstuck first-timers

Many celebrities are Met Gala regulars, invited again and again. Then there are the first-timers, who often express a bit of starstruck awe and even a case of occasional nerves, like a kid arriving at a new school.

3 hours ago

President Joe Biden gives remarks virtually to the National Action Network Convention last month. B...

Betsy Klein, CNN

Biden condemns antisemitism, connecting the Holocaust to Hamas’ attack on Israel

President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued a call to fight a swiftly rising tide of antisemitism, saying such hate has no place in America as he connected the horrors of the Holocaust to Hamas’ attack on October 7.

4 hours ago

Miss United States Noelia Voigt poses during the The 72nd Miss Universe Competition press junket at...

Mary Culbertson

Utah’s first Miss USA resigns, fueling online speculation of ‘bullying’ within the brand

Utah's first Miss USA announced her resignation from her role on Monday, after another employee at Miss USA resigned days earlier. Speculation then began online after statements were made accusing the brand of bullying.

5 hours ago

FILE - A close up of a Boy Scout uniform is photographed on Feb. 4, 2013, in Irving, Texas. On Tues...

Nicole Chavez, CNN

Boy Scouts of America announces rebrand to ‘Scouting America’

Boy Scouts of America announced Tuesday that it will change its name to Scouting America next February, to emphasize its commitment to inclusion.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Electrician repairing ceiling fan with lamps indoors...

Lighting Design

Stay cool this summer with ceiling fans

When used correctly, ceiling fans help circulate cool and warm air. They can also help you save on utilities.

Side view at diverse group of children sitting in row at school classroom and using laptops...

PC Laptops

5 Internet Safety Tips for Kids

Read these tips about internet safety for kids so that your children can use this tool for learning and discovery in positive ways.

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Biden says US needs to ‘fund the police’ for public safety