Republicans, led by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a bill to increase penalties for those who target law enforcement officers. He did so after Texas lost the most officers in the line of duty last year.
Cruz filed the Thin Blue Line Act, which amends Title 18, United States Code, to enhance penalties for convicted murderers who kill or target public safety officers.
It's already illegal under federal law to kill or attempt to kill federal law enforcement officers, judges and correctional officers. Current law allows for an aggravating factor to be considered when deciding whether to impose the death penalty in a federal charge. The bill would add to the aggregating factor list if the defendant killed or attempted to kill state and local police officers, firefighters and other first responders.
“Violent crimes targeting law enforcement demand immediate action. These crimes should never be tolerated,” Cruz said. “Every day, members of law enforcement risk their lives to protect our communities and they deserve the full protection of the law. I am proud to introduce this common-sense legislation to ensure that acts of murder or attempted murder against law enforcement will be met with ..."
