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The California congresswoman said bipartisan talks on police reform were ongoing on Capitol Hill.

“We've been having information conversations with one of the caucuses in the House called The Problem Solvers, which is a bipartisan caucus, along with Sen. Scott and Sen. Booker,” Bass said. “And so I believe that we can get these. I absolutely do. What's most important is that we come up with ways to hold police officers accountable so we will stop seeing these videos. So ending qualified immunity, decreasing the standard that is needed to prosecute an officer.\"

Stephanopoulos pressed Bass, highlighting that many Republicans see the issue of qualified immunity as an obstacle to a bipartisan bill.

\"Sen. Tim Scott, who is leading the Republican side on the negotiations, says lowering that standard for prosecutions is not on the table,\" he told Bass.

\"PHOTO:
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: Rep. Karen Bass speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, July 1, 2020.
>

\"Oftentimes, people say there are red lines (that they) won't cross… and then in negotiation we find a pathway forward. And I'm hoping that we will be able to do that,\" the congresswoman responded.

\"But it's also about raising the standard of policing in the United States. We have 18,000 police departments and no national standards, which is why you see some practices legal in some areas and illegal in other areas,\" she added.

Some civil rights groups, like the Movement for Black Lives, have opposed the Bass-sponsored George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, arguing it invests too much in policing and not enough in marginalized communities.

When asked to respond to such criticisms by Stephanopoulos, Bass said she agreed that Congress needed to spend more on communities.

.@GStephanopoulos on push for police reform: \"Some of the critics are saying you can't just invest in policing, you can't just focus on police reform, you have to invest in entire communities.\"

Rep. Karen Bass: \"Oh, I absolutely agree with that.\" https://t.co/UpcGAa1Mv3 pic.twitter.com/8z23rTc1Rp

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 25, 2021

\"What we have done over the years is we have divested from communities. We've cut health care. We've cut social services. And then when there are problems that result, we expect the police to pick up the pieces,\" she said.

\"We need to look at communities as a whole. And one of the things that the bill does is provide resources to communities to re-envision public safety. What do communities need in order to be safe. So I think much is needed to be done. I think the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act moves us a step forward after it's passed,\" Bass added.

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