Cassidy leads 35 Republicans in calling for national strategy to fight U.S. crime

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) led 35 of his Republican colleagues in introducing a resolution that urges the Biden administration to work with Congress on the development of a strategy to counter the rise in violent crime across the United States.

“If there was ever a time that the American people want to know that the president and Congress are working together to defeat the scourge of crime, the time is now,” Sen. Cassidy said. “This resolution is to send the message that combating crime is what we are focused on.”

Sen. Cassidy on May 16 sponsored Senate Resolution (S.Res.) 636, which calls on the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other law enforcement agencies, and the private sector to work together with the president and Congress to develop and execute a strategy to counter the rise in violent crime across the country by “reinforcing strong criminal justice policies, by laying blame on the perpetrators of violent acts, and by securing the southern border,” according to the text of the resolution.

Additionally, S.Res. 636 resolves that these entities coordinate with federal, state and local agencies and authorities to implement the strategy and “exhort all those agencies and authorities to strengthen their approaches to combat the violent crime epidemic within the country,” the text says.

Among the lawmakers who joined Sen. Cassidy as original cosponsors of the resolution are U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Scott (R-SC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Todd Young (R-IN).

“Rising crime across the country poses a threat to not just the safety of our communities, but the rule of law and our national interest,” Sen. Wicker tweeted on May 17. “I joined my colleagues in calling on @POTUS to immediately develop a national strategy to fight crime.”

The resolution has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.