Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member, today made this statement after Special Counsel John Durham released a report on the origins of the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation and the false allegations of then-candidate Donald Trump’s campaign colluding with Russia.

Special Counsel Durham’s report found:

• “…the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with certain events and activities…”
• “…neither U.S. law enforcement nor the Intelligence Community appears to have possessed any actual evidence of collusion in their holdings at the commencement of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.”
• “…the Crossfire Hurricane investigators did not and could not corroborate any of the substantive allegations contained in the Steele reporting.”

Graham said:

“What have we learned from the Durham Report? That the New York Times and Washington Post were given a Pulitzer Prize for writing a bunch of politically motivated crap. When it comes to reporting on Donald Trump, the mainstream media is dead.

“The Durham Report is a damning indictment of the FBI under James Comey and the operations of the Department of Justice.  Their behavior during the Crossfire Hurricane investigation reads like a page out of the Nixon playbook. 

“The findings we published when I was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in regards to Crossfire Hurricane and the Mueller Investigation, are consistent with the Durham Report.  Today, I am calling on Chairman Durbin to quickly hold a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Durham Report to fulfill the Committee’s oversight obligations.

“Not only could the FBI not verify the Steele Dossier – the essential foundation for surveillance warrants – they ignored exculpatory evidence and illegally altered evidence to continue the investigation.  The facts confirm that the investigation was launched and continued as part of a political agenda.

“Sadly, this report – that shines a bright light on problems at the FBI and DOJ – reinforces the narrative that the Rule of Law in America is subservient to political outcomes.  It is a very dangerous development and moment in American history.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to the American Left you will not hear about the Durham Report.  The American Left celebrates bad actors like these because they had a ‘noble cause’ – taking down a political opponent.  It is a case of the ends justifying the means.  I hope they will prove me wrong and come out and make clear that the FBI and DOJ violated the constitutional protections of many, including Donald Trump, but I am not holding my breath.

“Finally, my advice to those unfairly maligned by the bogus Crossfire Hurricane investigation would be to hire a good lawyer and sue the hell out of them. Those responsible for Crossfire Hurricane destroyed reputations and lives, all in the name of politics.  Someone needs to be held accountable for using the law as a political weapon and ruining innocent peoples’ lives.”

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Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso

CASPER, WY – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following video honoring Wyoming officers who serve in the Wyoming Highway Patrol, as well as sheriffs and local police across the state.

“As we remember the fallen during National Police Week, I want to thank all of the officers serving in the Wyoming Highway Patrol, our sheriffs and local police who provide the law and order to keep our Wyoming communities safe,” said Barrasso.

Barrasso also recently cosponsored the Back the Blue Act. The legislation would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.

“Everyone involved with law enforcement knows there is no routine call or traffic stop. When officers in our community put on their uniforms, they know that at any time during their shift, they could walk into harm’s way,” said Barrasso. “Without hesitation, they still put their uniform on every day. This speaks to their bravery, professionalism and commitment to the people of Wyoming.”

National Police Week is May 14 through May 20, 2023.

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Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

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Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

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Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R- Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and 37 of their Senate Republican colleagues introduced the Back the Blue Act, which would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.

“Across the Volunteer State and our nation, law enforcement officials continuously risk their lives to protect our communities, and they deserve our support,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Back the Blue Act stiffens the penalties for criminals who target public safety and law enforcement officials, helping to deter those crimes and keep our heroes safe.”

“Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to serve families across Texas,” said Senator Cornyn. “Violent criminals who target those who protect our communities should face swift and tough penalties, and the Back the Blue Act sends that clear message.”

 

THE BACK THE BLUE ACT:

• Strengthens Laws to Protect Police Officers

• Creates a new federal crime for killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a federal judge, federal law enforcement officer, or federally funded public safety officer. The offender would be subject to the death penalty and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years if death results; the offender would otherwise face a minimum sentence of 10 years.
• Creates a new federal crime for assaulting a federally funded law enforcement officer with escalating penalties, including mandatory minimums, based on the extent of any injury and the use of a dangerous weapon. However, no prosecution can be commenced absent certification by the Attorney General that prosecution is appropriate.
• Creates a new federal crime for interstate flight from justice to avoid prosecution for killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a federal judge, federal law enforcement officer, or federally funded public safety officer. The offender would be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for this offense.

 

• Creates a Specific Aggravating Factor for Federal Death Penalty Prosecutions

• Clarifies that the murder or attempted murder of a law enforcement officer or first responder is a statutory aggravating factor for purposes of the federal death penalty.

 

• Limits Federal Habeas Relief for Murders of Law Enforcement Officers

• Imposes time limits and substantive limits on federal courts’ review of challenges to state-court convictions for crimes involving the murder of a public safety officer, when the public safety officer was engaged in the performance of official duties or on account of the performance of official duties. These changes are consistent with the fast-track procedures created in 1996, which are applied to federal death penalty cases.

 

• Expands Self-Defense and Second Amendment Rights for Law Enforcement Officers

• Allows law enforcement officers, subject to limited regulation, to carry firearms into federal facilities and other jurisdictions where such possession is otherwise prohibited.

The legislation is cosponsored by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Thune (R-S.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

This legislation is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), and the Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD.

Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

WASHINGTON, May 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Wednesday, May 17 will join with colleagues, MomsRising, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, A Better Balance, National Nurses United, National Partnership for Women & Families, Family Values @ Work, Glamour’s 28 Days Paid Leave Project, and Paid Leave For All – as well as workers, mothers, and more – to announce legislation that would ensure the United States joins virtually every other major country on Earth in guaranteeing paid leave to its workers.

Thirty years ago, for the first time in the U.S., the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitled eligible workers to take job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons – unpaid.

Today, the U.S. remains one of the only two major countries in the world that does not provide paid time off for short-term illnesses nor paid leave for family and medical needs and emergencies. Currently, only 25 percent of U.S. workers have access to paid family leave through an employer and 34 million workers lack any paid sick time at all – including 25 percent of the private sector workforce and 9 percent of the public sector workforce. Things are worse for low-income workers and households, and reached a breaking point for millions of Americans during the pandemic. Less than a third of private sector workers in the bottom 10 percent of income have access to paid sick leave. Nearly one in four employed mothers return to work within two weeks of giving birth and one in five retirees have left the workforce earlier than planned to care for an ill family member. Estimates report more than 2 million women left the U.S. workforce since the start of the pandemic, many forced to leave to care for their family.

Details
What: Rally for Paid Sick Days & Family and Medical Leave
Who:

• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee
• Mike Baldwin, President, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
• Sharita Gruberg, Vice President for Economic Justice, National Partnership for Women and Families (NPWF)
• Jean Ross, Co-President, National Nurses United (NNU)
• Sherry Lewiant, Co-Founder and Co-President, A Better Balance
• Rachel Shelton, Former teacher, forced out of the profession due to lack of paid family leave, Asheville, N.C.
• Karina Garcia, Chef, forced to go back to work a week after giving birth, Harlem, N.Y.

When: 10:00 a.m. ET, Wednesday, May 17
Where: Green just east of the Senate Swamp. This rally will also be livestreamed on Sanders’ social media pages.

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

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Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

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Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding National Police Week and crime:

“This week, thousands of law enforcement officers have gathered in Washington to honor their fallen brothers and sisters in blue.

“Every year since 1962, Peace Officers Memorial Day has called our nation to pay special tribute to heroic men and women in our communities who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe.

“Throughout Police Week, peace officers and families from around the country mourn loved ones and find shared strength. Today, we remind the families and comrades of these fallen heroes that a grateful nation has their backs.

“As always, I am honored to welcome the Kentuckians who have traveled to Washington for this week’s events. My staff continue to work closely with Kentucky law enforcement and to listen to their concerns.

“Like many in my home state, I’m thinking especially of the Kentuckians we lost in the line of duty this past year:

“Officer Logan Medlock of the London Police Department, who was fatally struck by a drunk driver while patrolling on duty.

“Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jody Cash of the Calloway County Sheriff’s Department, who was shot and killed while interviewing a suspect.

“Captain Ralph Frasure and Officer Jacob Chaffins of the Prestonsburg Police Department and Deputy William Petry of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department, who were shot and killed in an ambush while attempting to serve a warrant.

“And the seven other Kentuckians whose names are being enshrined today on the National Law Enforcement Memorial: James Critchelow, Travis Hurley, Oliver Little, Gregory Means, Mark Pike, David Ragle, and Dixon Allen Sasser.

“I also want to pay special tribute to Officer Nickolas Wilt, who was shot in the head while responding to last month’s bank shooting in Downtown Louisville. Officer Wilt was just 11 days out of the Academy, but he never shied away from his duty, even in the face of imminent danger.

“Today, Officer Wilt is continuing to show signs of improvement, and the city of Louisville stands behind him on the road to recovery.

“As we honor officers in Kentucky and across the country who have been injured or killed in the line of duty, I know my colleagues join me in thanking the peace officers who continue to run toward danger to keep us safe.

“Police Week is an important and solemn occasion every year. America’s peace officers deserve our respect and recognition every day. But in recent years, Peace Officers Memorial Day has taken on an especially urgent significance.

“In 2021, President Biden’s first year in office, the number of law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty reached its highest level in 20 years.

“Just last year, 331 officers were shot on the job. 62 of them were killed. That’s a 32% increase from just two years earlier.

“Brave men and women in blue swear to uphold law and order, to run toward danger, and even to give their lives to protect their communities. But as a radical, soft-on-crime movement has taken hold of elected Democrats at every level of government, peace officers have been forced to bear an even heavier burden.

“Brave peace officers have faced down an historic wave of violent crime from the front lines, even as defund-the-police radicalism forced them to do it with fewer resources and thinner ranks.

“They’ve continued to risk their lives to enforce our laws, even as soft-on-crime liberal prosecutors do everything they can to avoid holding criminals accountable.

“So this week, we honor men and women whose tough job is only getting tougher on Washington Democrats’ watch.

“But thanks to the leadership of Senator Cornyn and Senator Cassidy, Senate Republicans are ready to take action to protect law enforcement officers in the line of duty.

“Our colleagues from Texas and Louisiana have introduced legislation to raise the stakes for criminals who resort to violence against police.

“Their bill would deliver new federal mandatory sentencing for killing a police officer, higher consequences for assault, and new separate penalties for fleeing such crimes across state lines.

“As our nation observes Police Week, I’m proud to co-sponsor our colleagues’ work, and to continue to back the blue.”

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

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