The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday passed legislation that would make it easier to impose the death penalty against anyone who kills a law enforcement officer or first responder.
The Thin Blue Line Act, sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., would make the victim’s job as a police officer, firefighter or other first responder an “aggravating” factor that would factor into death penalty decisions.
There have been 39 law enforcement deaths in 2017 so far, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
“Congress should do all it can to protect our police officers and first responders,” Buchanan said ahead of Thursday’s vote. “My bill makes sure that anyone who targets law enforcement officers is held accountable.”
The committee passed the resolution 19-12, in the face of opposition from Democrats, the ACLU and NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund. It now goes to the House floor for a vote.
According to Monique Dixon of the Legal Defense Fund, the legislation “needlessly duplicates federal and state laws that already impose serious penalties on persons convicted of crimes against law enforcement. At a time when public support for the death penalty is at its lowest point in decades, Congress should reject this unnecessary bill and focus on substantive policing reform.”
However, a number of national law enforcement organizations support the legislation, including the National Association of Police Officers, National Fraternal Order of Police, Major Counties Sheriffs of America and the American Federation of Government Employees.
