Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrat, on Tuesday announced plans to unveil an amendment in the annual defense policy bill that would prevent any Pentagon funds from being used for military force that prevents Americans from exercising their First Amendment rights.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedoms of religion, speech, press, petition and peaceful assembly.
Mr. Kaine’s announcement comes just one day after President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy active-duty military to stop riots if governors can’t restore order with National Guard troops.
Protests have erupted across the U.S. after the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis.
Mr. Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced in a tweet that he will introduce the amendment in the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act — which determines how the Pentagon spends its budget — “to prevent any DoD funding from being used for force against American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.”
Scores of Democratic politicians across the country have expressed pointed opposition to the president’s threat to deploy the military amid ongoing protests including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York, the top Democrats of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees Rep. Adam Smith of Washington and Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The senate panel will be marking up the massive defense spending budget next week with additional measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on Capitol Hill.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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