(DCWatchdog.com) – After Lafayette Square outside the White House was trashed by pro-Palestinian protesters, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has introduced a bill targeting those convicted of defacing statues on federal land with mandatory minimum prison sentences.
“Any protester who defaces statues of America’s heroes must face the full extent of the law,” Cotton said in a statement.
“As Joe Biden seeks to appease the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party, it’s clear his administration won’t do anything to punish the protesters who defaced the area around the White House recently. The Senate should take up my legislation to punish these pro-Hamas lunatics,” he continued.
In addition, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) co-sponsored the bill following incidents where protesters painted pro-Hamas and antisemitic slogans on statues in Lafayette Square Park, close to the White House.
The Washington Post reported that statues and structures near the White House were recently vandalized during a Gaza cease-fire protest.
National Park Service spokesperson Jasmine Shanti claimed, “Notable damage includes graffiti, damage to some structures, and damage to park infrastructure in Lafayette Park.”
Demonstrators converged on the White House, defacing structures in the park with messages such as “free Gaza” and “free Palestine,” as well as “Death to AmeriKKKa” and “Long live Hamas.”
Multiple statues and structures were vandalized during the event, including that of President Jackson riding a horse and Comte de Rochambeau, a commander in the French army.
Cotton’s bill, called the Saving Treasured Artifacts Through Uniform Enforcement (STATUE) Act, would enforce a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a $1,000 fine or a fine equal to the amount of damage, whichever is greater.
In turn, the bill would also amend the Veterans’ Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act to cover all monuments or property under federal jurisdiction.
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