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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., planned to introduce legislation Monday to increase the maximum prison sentences from one year to five years for those who illegally try to influence Supreme Court justices, according to a statement.
Blackburn's bill, Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act, which is co-sponsored by 10 other GOP senators, comes after protesters who targeted the homes of conservative justices in the weeks leading up to and after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.
"As we saw last summer, the woke liberal mob will go to great lengths to target those they disagree with — even illegally intimidating Supreme Court justices at their private residences," Blackburn said.
"It's extremely concerning that none of these protesters have been arrested for breaking the law, and the DOJ has not issued any guidance on enforcing this statute. The Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act will deter intimidation of our justices and send a message that the Biden administration has refused to send: Justices must be allowed to do their jobs without fearing for the safety of themselves or their families."
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, one of the senators co-sponsoring the bill, added, "Justices must be able to rule without fear of retribution or intimidation, and the politicization of our judicial branch is unacceptable and downright dangerous.
"By increasing the maximum term of imprisonment for those attempting to influence judicial decision making, we can ensure Supreme Court justices can operate with impartiality and uphold the Constitution without worrying about their safety or that of their family."
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., also a co-sponsor of the bill, said: "Intimidating members of the judicial branch into ruling a certain way goes against everything our justice system and democracy were founded on. We cannot continue to let this behavior go unchecked or tolerate further targeted acts of violence and harassment.
"Our legislation prioritizes the safety of Supreme Court justices and their families and ensures accountability for those responsible for adopting such disturbing, lawless tactics."
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