U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) took to the Senate floor on May 15 to promote his Back the Blue Act, a bill to protect law enforcement officials and provide protective tools for police officers. Cornyn introduced the bill on May 11 with support from 38 other Republican Senators.
“Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to serve families across Texas,” Cornyn said. “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.”
Earlier in the day, he met with leaders from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) and hosted a bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus event on recruitment and retention featuring Texas Municipal Police Association President Chris CeBallos and Houston Police Officers Union Vice President Tim Whitaker.
Cornyn is pushing Congress to pass his Back the Blue Act. The bill would make it a federal crime to assault a local law enforcement officer. The bill would also make fleeing across state lines a federal crime in the event the travel is to escape prosecution for killing a local law enforcement officer or judge. In addition, it expands Second Amendment gun rights to officers, and applies so-called “fast-track” procedures to federal court reviews of state prosecutions related to crimes against local officers.
Cornyn said his measure is needed to address daily risks police officers face in maintaining community safety. He serves on the Senate Finance, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees.