WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and a group of Republican colleagues introduced the Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act to strengthen violent crime statutes and help prevent future crime. The bill would address ambiguity and conflicting court decisions by clarifying penalties for violent offenses like carjacking, robbery, and kidnapping.
“Violent criminals should be kept far away from our families and children. While Republicans work to ensure they are, Democrats are silent on this issue. America is a country of law and order. Time to act like it,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“Under the Biden-Harris administration, our nation saw a massive spike in violent crime. As the Trump administration works to clean up the previous administration’s mess, Congress has a duty to resolve any legal ambiguities that may weaken our ability to hold criminals fully accountable,” said Senator Grassley. “Our bill includes several modest, but meaningful, reforms to tamp down on future crime and ensure justice is served.”
Among other provisions, the Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act would:
- Resolve conflicting circuit court decisions that have resulted in a higher burden to charge violent offenses;
- Clarify that an attempt or conspiracy to commit an offence involving physical force meets the legal definition of a violent crime;
- Increase the statutory maximum penalty for carjacking and remove a duplicative intent requirement needed to charge a carjacking offense;
- Clarify that attempted bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery are punishable under the current bank robbery statute;
- Outlaw the marketing of candy-flavored drugs to minors; and
- Establish a new category of violent kidnapping offences, allowing for greater penalties for violent kidnapping.
Cassidy and Grassley were joined by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan Collins, (R-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jim Risch (R-ID) in introducing the legislation.
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