On Monday, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) announced that he was co-sponsoring legislation that would make it a federal crime to purposely obstruct, delay, or impact commerce by blocking a public road or highway.
The bill, which would punish lawbreakers through fines or up to five years in prison, was introduced in response to recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles that turned into riots.
In introducing the Safe and Open Streets Act, Tuberville lamented the scene in Los Angeles and Democrat-run cities as their leaders "sat on their tails and did nothing" to quell the violence and chaos.
RELATED: Tuberville: 'Communist' California Gov. Gavin Newsom 'should be in jail'
"For nearly a week, we watched as domestic terrorists assaulted ICE and law enforcement officers, set fire to cop cars, and blocked streets in Los Angeles and in other blue cities across the country—all while Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass sat on their tails and did nothing," Tuberville outlined. "The First Amendment gives us the right to freedom of assembly, but it doesn't give the right to block our streets and put American lives at risk. I'm proud to join the Safe and Open Streets Act that restores law and order by holding radical protestors accountable."
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) all co-sponsor the bill with Tuberville.
The bill's text can be found here.
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