MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn says progressive policies that appear to support criminals are putting innocent Americans at risk, and Wednesday introduced the ‘Restoring Law and Order Act’.
Blackburn and Senator Bill Hagerty both sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to take swift action to eliminate “soft-on-crime” policies and pointed to recent violence in Memphis as symptomatic of a rise in violent crime across the country.
“Just last week in Memphis, there was a sick criminal who went on a shooting rampage and killed three innocent victims,” said Senator Blackburn.
Blackburn and Hagerty said their bill would establish a federal grant program that would provide more funding for more officers and is focused on violent crimes such as rape, murder, and carjackings. They say it will also increase resources to target drug crimes and funding for state law enforcement agencies.
The Republican senators said they had worked closely with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland in drafting the legislation.
Blackburn said another component of the ‘Restoring Law and Order Act’ will address delays in testing rape kits. She referenced the recent murder of Memphis school teacher and runner Eliza Fletcher.
“In September of 2021, her alleged killer raped an innocent victim. It took a year for Memphis police to receive the results and have the rape kit processed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Tragically, the rape kit was returned the same day that fletcher’s body was discovered with DNA allegedly matching that of Fletcher’s killer.”
Blackburn said they also want to end the war on law enforcement officers.
“This defund the police, disrespect the police, be compassionate to criminals has not served this nation well,” said Blackburn.
Senator Haggerty said Memphis saw record high crime last year alone. He said they are ready to work with President Biden to address the violent crime.
Read the full letter below:
