EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans roll out legislation that would grant bounties to Americans who turn in violent anti-ICE protesters

Rep. Tim Moore (R., N.C.) is introducing legislation obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter that incentivizes Americans to turn in individuals who harm or kill federal law enforcement officers. 

Moore’s legislation, the No Bounties on Badges Act, authorizes rewards for information leading to the arrest, conviction, or prevention of people who offer bounties to harm or kill law enforcement officers. 

“As law enforcement officers across services are increasingly targeted by radicals, Congress has to do something to stand up for them,” Moore told the Reporter. “I’m disgusted by the dangerous rhetoric likening police officers to Nazis — and now some are going even further, literally putting a price tag on their lives. That’s why I introduced the No Bounties on Badges Act in the House to send a clear message that if you put a bounty on our officers, we’ll put a bounty on you.”

Moore’s legislation is originally cosponsored by Reps. Mike Ezell (R., Miss.), Troy Nehls (R., Texas), Vern Buchanan (R., Fla.), Rick Crawford (R., Ark.), and John Rutherford (R., Fla.) in the House and Sens. Rick Scott (R., Fla.), Ted Budd (R., N.C.), Mike Lee (R., Utah), Pete Ricketts (R., Neb.), John Kennedy (R., La.), and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.).

Some of Moore’s Democratic counterparts, like Reps. Shri Thanedar (D., Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), recently rolled out legislation to abolish ICE completely. 

Moore’s legislation has already been endorsed by organizations like the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) and NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association. 

The No Bounties on Badges Act is Moore’s latest piece of legislation that would directly benefit law enforcement officers; last year, the House passed his bipartisan bill, the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act, that “ensures we’re not turning a blind eye to the threats they face and the toll this job takes by improving how we track attacks, exposing patterns of violence, and making sure officers have access to the mental health care they’ve earned,” he noted at the time.