US senator moves to curb Trump’s ‘vague authority’ to use military against protesters
Legislation is being introduced in the US Congress to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to use military forces against protesters, seeking justice for George Floyd, an African American killed by a white police officer last week.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said Wednesday that his resolution was aimed at reining in the commander-in-chief’s powers under the Insurrection Act.
"I will be proposing legislation to reform the Insurrection Act to establish restrictions on the president's now very vague ... authority," Blumenthal told reporters.
The lawmaker further said on Twitter that the resolution would change Trump’s “undefined power.”
“Right for the DC National Guard to investigate this apparent abuse in use of military force. Disproportionate responses in DC & across the country cannot go unchecked. The Senate Armed Services Committee must conduct additional oversight with scrutiny.”
Twenty-one Democrat and Independent senators, meanwhile, called on the Defense Department not to use US troops to crush nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
“We urge you to refrain from using the United States military to diminish or suppress the peaceful, free expression of Americans who are exercising their civil liberties in a call to hold government institutions to a higher standard in the fight for racial justice,” the senators wrote.
The initiative was spearheaded by Democratic Senators Michael Bennet, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey, Sherrod Brown as well as Blumenthal.
This is while US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has broken with Trump on using the country’s military forces to tackle the protests.
“Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled,” Trump said at the White House this week. “If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the US military and quickly solve the problem for them.”
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