America’s servicemen and women deserve respect. Instead, they are facing violence.
Now a horrific attack on the National Guard left Capitol Hill in utter chaos.
Senator Cotton Proposes Buffer Zone for National Guard Troops
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has introduced legislation to establish a protective buffer zone around National Guard members on duty, aiming to prevent harassment or physical assaults.
The bill would create a 15-foot zone around troops performing official tasks, according to Cotton’s office in a statement to The Daily Wire.
“The brave Arkansans who serve in our National Guard should be protected from deranged individuals. My bill ensures that anyone who attempts to intimidate or harass a Guardsmen will face the full force of the law,” Cotton told The Daily Wire.
Details of the National Guard Protective Zone Act
The proposed “National Guard Protective Zone Act” would classify entering the zone to intimidate, harass, or impede a troop as a federal misdemeanor. Spitting on or throwing objects at a Guardsman on duty would be a felony, carrying a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.
The legislation includes a safeguard for constitutional rights.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit activity protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that is conducted outside a posted protective zone,” the legislation reads.
The measure follows President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard units to various cities, including Memphis and Los Angeles, in support of federal operations.
Context of Deployments and Recent Incidents
National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., have encountered protests and incidents of violence. Shortly before Thanksgiving, two troops were shot—one fatally and one critically—by a suspect described as an Afghan refugee admitted during the previous administration.
In a separate case, an individual threw a subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer amid heightened security in the capital.
On Wednesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration may continue the National Guard deployment in the district pending further litigation.
“Another important court victory for President Trump’s agenda: today, the D.C. Circuit unanimously issued a stay in favor of our National Guard deployment to Washington, DC,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “Our federal surge in DC has saved countless lives, removed hundreds of illegal guns off the streets, and led to a dramatic drop in crime in our nation’s capital city.”
