Throughout the recent nationwide protests against police brutality in the United States, President Donald Trump has consistently threatened to send active-duty troops out into the streets of the country to confront protesters, the vast majority of whom have been peaceful. Trump has made these threats, including a threat to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act’s apparent allowance for domestic military deployments, rather than engaging with the substance of the protesters’ concerns. Now, the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee has passed a measure that, if enacted, would prohibit the Defense Department from deploying troops against peaceful protesters.
Racism and discrimination in this country is not an accident.
We didn't just inherit it or have it foisted upon us. Our founders and our government carefully created it and have enforced it for generations. It's on us to just as intentionally dismantle it—and the time is now.
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) June 10, 2020
The prohibition was passed as an amendment to the latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which covers military spending. The amendment and the current version of the NDAA as a whole still have to go to the full Senate for a vote.
. @realDonaldTrump, the finest military in the world should never be used against American citizens.
Today I am joining @timkaine in calling for an amendment of the NDAA to block funding for military force against peaceful protestors.https://t.co/7oen3nsi03
— Rep. Donald McEachin (@RepMcEachin) June 9, 2020
In the meantime, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who introduced the prohibition for the committee vote, commented:
‘My other priority was something I would never have thought I needed to do until last week: prevent the use of military force against peaceful protesters. I was pleased my colleagues voted to include my amendment in the defense bill. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue.’
Despite the broad criticism of his threats to demand that troops attack peaceful protesters around the country, Trump has stood by his perspective. On Thursday, he made one of the threats again, insisting that if Washington authorities didn’t “take back” Seattle from the peaceful protesters who’ve been occupying some blocks of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, he would step in to “take back” the city with the federal government’s forces. It’s unclear what authority that he could or would actually use to deploy federal forces into the streets of Seattle, but what is clear is that the president apparently has no problem with threatening American citizens with violence.
During the Wednesday hearing in which the Senate Armed Services Committee approved Kaine’s measure to bar the Defense Department from using resources against peaceful protesters, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced a measure to amend the 1807 Insurrection Act itself. That measure failed, with all Democrats in favor but all Republicans, who are in the majority, against it.
Blumenthal has indicated that he’ll try and bring the same measure up for a vote by the full Senate. He commented:
‘Our armed forces swear an oath to protect our constitutional freedoms, not to limit them. I’m disappointed more of my Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues don’t agree that the use of military force against Americans at home should demand at least the same Congressional oversight that applies to his use of force against adversaries abroad. “I’m going to keep fighting for these provisions when the NDAA comes to the Senate floor and as it makes its way through the House.’
Trump has faced a lot of criticism for his handling of the recent anti-police brutality protests that have sprung up across the United States. After authorities attacked peaceful protesters outside the White House shortly before the president held a photo op in the area, retired General James Mattis — who served as a Defense Secretary in the Trump administration — characterized Trump as a threat to the Constitution.
