WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., joined with 20 colleagues in a letter to the Trump Administration voicing concerns over the president’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to nationwide protests calling for justice for George Floyd and an end to systemic racism.
“President Trump’s behavior over the last three years has repeatedly politicized our Armed Forces and portrayed their mission not as one to protect and defend the Constitution, but rather to protect and defend his political interests,” wrote the senators. “The military should never be weaponized by the president to limit these expressions for liberty and justice. We believe it is antithetical to what those in uniform have sworn to protect and defend, and a serious threat to our democratic system.”
The group of senators said this is a critical moment for the nation, and the response will “determine whether the coming weeks and months lead to healing and unity, or continued derision, discord and injustice.”
The legislators urged against the use of the U.S. 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 letter requested that the Department of Defense provide information by Friday on whether the department would deploy federal troops outside of the use of the Insurrection Act, whether the president would federalize National Guardsmen against the wishes of governors, if deployments would ever include combat designated troops, how troops would be trained and prepared, what the mission, scope and rules would entail for the use of force as well if they would be authorized to perform arrests.
In addition to Casey, senators joining in the message include Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.; Michael Bennett, D-Colo.; Chris Van Hollen, D-Mo.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn.; Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.; Tina Smith, D-Minn.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Thomas R. Carper, D-Del.; Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Jeffrey A. Merkley, D-Ore.; Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; and Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii.
