Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday introduced legislation that would increase penalties for violent crime committed against law enforcement officers.
“Law enforcement officers selflessly put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and in return they deserve our unparalleled support for the irreplaceable role they serve,” the bill’s chief sponsor, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, said in a statement.
“The Back the Blue Act sends a clear message that our criminal justice system simply will not tolerate those who viciously and deliberately target our law enforcement.”
The legislation, cosponsored by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, would create a new federal crime for attempting to harm officials on the federal payroll, including judges and police officers. Sentencing under the proposal would range from a mandatory minimum of 10 years for attempting to kill an official to a minimum of 30 years for murder.
It would also roll back habeas relief, or the ability of federal courts to review challenges to state-level convictions involving the murder of an officer, and limit the amount of damages that could be recoverable by the perpetrator of a crime for injuries incurred during the commission of a felony or crime of violence.
“We must stand in solidarity with our police officers, firefighters, first responders and federal officers who selflessly run into harm’s way to protect our families and our communities,” Cruz said. “This should not be a partisan issue. This should be an issue that brings us together, united as Americans.”
The proposal comes less than a week after a Dallas sniper killed five officers and wounded seven others.
