President Joe Biden laid out his vision to reduce crime on Tuesday.
At an event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Biden said his administration has worked to make sure law enforcement is funded. He rejected calls from some of the progressives in his party to "defund the police."
“When it comes to public safety in this nation, the answer is not defund the police, it's fund the police," Biden said.
According to the White House, the Safer America Plan funds law enforcement agencies and calls for improved police accountability.
Biden criticized Republicans who politicized the "Defund the Police" movement. He said that they can't be in favor of police while also failing to condemn the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol, where officers were attacked.
"For God's sake, whose side are you on?" Biden stated.
Biden also renewed his calls to address gun violence. He pledged to work on getting assault weapons banned.
While the economy remains the No. 1 issue facing voters, crime and gun policies are the Nos. 2 and 3 topics respectively heading into the 2022 midterm elections, according to the Pew Research Center.
