The protests over police brutality and racial injustice have spread across the country. Millions of Americans have called for political reform from their local police departments. However, many incidents have also led others to infiltrate peaceful protests and start looting local businesses in the process.
One congressman is looking to introduce a bill that will potentially take away federal benefits from rioters.
Last week, Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN) proposed the “Support Peaceful Protest Act” that would strip those accused of rioting and looting of federal benefits made accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic, including additional unemployment assistance made available via the CARES Act.
‘”Many of these people are not working,” said the congressman in an interview with 93.1FM WIBC.“They have the time to show up every day at some of these violent protests like in Washington, D.C., and they’re getting $600 a week of unemployment to do it, and that’s got to stop.”
Hey @SpeakerPelosi, these are my constituents. They are good people.
If you told these mobs to stop, I have a feeling they would … https://t.co/l5qIT52XM4
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) August 28, 2020
The bill still needs to be passed by House, which is led by the Democrats, and the Senate before it becomes law. If it’s passed, Banks hopes the new law would help quell the behavior where many are trying to protest peacefully and not derail the original message.
“Antifa thugs are descending on suffering communities, disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence, looting and vandalism in their wake. They turned Milwaukee, Seattle, and Portland into war zones, and now they’re moving the chaos to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Who knows which community is next?” added Banks in a statement.
“Due to enhanced federal benefits, taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities. We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions.”