Montana senior U.S. Sen. Jon Tester says he does not support the current GOP police reform bill that could hit the Senate floor as early as Wednesday.
Speaking with the KTVQ editorial board Tuesday, Tester, a Democrat, said the new JUSTICE ACT doesn't go far enough to address racial injustice issues that have become the focus of nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Tester said the time for action is now, but said right now, there is no consensus on the proposed police reform bill.
Tester touched on a wide range of subjects during the 53-minute interview over Zoom from his Washington, D.C., office.
As for the nation's battle against COVID-19, Tester said he believes the Trump Administration's denial about the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak cost valuable time and lives.
Asked if he is optimistic the U.S. economy will bounce back, Tester said yes, but feels it will take longer than most people wish. The keys he said, are identifying a treatment against COVID, and a vaccine, that the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Faucci, predicted Tuesday would be available by the start of next year.
Watch the full video below:
