This is huge: Congressman proposes bill to withhold unemployment from violent protesters

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congressman Jim Banks
(R-Ind.) has had about enough of the so-called “peaceful
protests” taking place across the country.

Now he wants violent protesters to pay…literally.

Called the “Support Peaceful Protest Act,” the bill would
penalize people caught committing acts of violence, looting or
vandalism,
93.1 WIBC in Indianapolis reported.

The bill
introduced by Mr. Banks says, in part:

“In the case of an individual convicted of a federal offense
related to the individual’s conduct at and during the course of a
protest with respect to which a Federal law enforcement officer was
engaged in policing activity, the court shall, in addition to the
penalty for such conviction, order the individual to pay an order
of restitution to the appropriate Federal law enforcement agency in
an amount that is equal to the cost of such policing activity, as
determined by the court.”

SEC. 3. INELIGIBILITY FOR ENHANCED FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS

An individual convicted of a Federal offense related to the
individual’s conduct at and during the course of a protest, is
ineligible for an Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation under
section 2104 of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9023) or any other Federal
supplemental unemployment compensation during the COVID-19 public
health emergency (as such term is defined in section 2102 of the
CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9021).

According to the
New York Post, Banks, who was deployed to Afghanistan as a
Supply Corps officer while with the U. S. Navy reserve, said that
he wants to withhold extra unemployment compensation that was
authorized under the CARES Act from anyone who is convicted of
federal offenses during violent demonstrations.

On Friday, Rep. Banks talked about the anti-rioting bill and
addressed an incident after President Trump’s acceptance speech
at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, where
(un)peaceful protesters accosted people leaving the White
House.

Banks specifically mentioned an elderly couple from Fort Wayne,
Indiana, whom he identified as community leaders who were among
those accosted by the unhinged mob of protesters.

He posted a tweet addressing Nancy Pelosi in which he said:

“Hey @SpeakerPelosi, these are my constituents. They
are good people.

If you told these mobs to stop, I have a feeling they
would…”

Days after @SpeakerPelosi
said members of the GOP on Capitol Hill are “enemies of the
state,” a member of the Senate GOP attacked on the streets of DC.
@SpeakerPelosi,
will you condemn their actions and apologize for your dangerous
rhetoric? https://t.co/t7ltAZLzbV

— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks)
August 28, 2020

The tweet was actually a retweet of former press secretary under
President George W. Bush, Ari Fleischer, who captured the incident
on video.

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Banks said, “The photo of them leaving…has gone
viral on the Internet. As they left the angry mob got in their
face. A violent mobster with both middle fingers in this woman’s
face, trying to incite them.â€

Banks noted that the couple did not engage the thugs and kept on
walking.

“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 warzones, and no they’re moving the chaos to
Kenosha, Wisconsin. Who knows which community is next?†said
Banks.

He noted that enhanced federal benefits given to the jobless
rioters are enabling them to commit violent acts since there was no
incentive to return to work.

“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.â€

Banks emphasized that he fully supports peaceful protests,
however, is convinced that those engaged in the regular riots are
largely unemployed.

“Many of these people are not working. 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,â€
WWBL reported.  

Law Enforcement Today spoke to law enforcement sources who
support the bill and had input on its formation. 

According to Mat Silverman, National Executive Vice President of
the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, this bill came
about after a discussion with Attorney General Bill Barr, where it
was suggested that it might be a good way to curb the violence in
the protests going on across the country.

“To us, it seemed like it was fraud for people to be
receiving supplemental government assistance, and then commit acts
of violence at these protests,†he said.

“We do not dispute the right of people to protest,
however nobody has the right to commit arson, looting, or assault.
Such conduct should not be rewarded if someone is convicted of
engaging in violence while they are receiving government
assistance,†Silverman continued.

“The violence occurring with these protests needs to
stop and if this bill helps keep communities safe, it’s a good
start,†Silverman said.

Congress is not the only place considering anti-riot
legislation. In Tennessee,
WZTV reports that a bill is making its way through the
legislature in that state which would implement greater penalties
for rioting or aggravated rioting.

HB2620 was amended in June to an anti-rioting bill that
followed violent protests in Nashville.

Two Republicans, Rep. William Lamberth and Sen. John Stevens
co-sponsored the bill, and it initially sought to increase
penalties for those convicted of aggravated assault against a
police officer.

The amendments to the bill add the following:

• Require any offender arrested for a violation of rioting,
  aggravated rioting, or incitement to riot to not be released within
  12 hours of the time of arrest, and;
• Require any sentence imposed for rioting, aggravated rioting or
  incitement to riot serve a mandatory 30-day sentence and include an
  order of restitution for any property damage or loss incurred as a
  result of the offense.

The bill is currently still pending.

—

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This is huge: Congressman proposes bill to withhold unemployment
from violent protesters appeared first on Law Enforcement
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