Rep. Jody Arrington, R-Texas, tells Newsmax TV he is still working to build bipartisan support for the David Dorn Act, for which he is a co-sponsor in the U.S. House, but the bill already has more support in Washington than it does at the local level.
Dorn is the retired St. Louis police captain killed by rioters while trying to defend a friend's pawnshop this summer. His widow, Ann, spoke last week at the Republican National Convention.
Arrington's bill would double the current penalties for rioting.
Though he has been trying to build support on the Democrat side of the aisle during the August recess, Arrington still said the bill has been well received, "especially when my colleagues understand the fact that you can deface a monument in get a longer prison sentence than if you assault a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon."
Still, he said the state and local level support has been "disgraceful" in Democrat-run cities such as Seattle and Portland, Oregon, where riots have continued for weeks.
The bill is intended to send a message "to the bad guys, we will hold you accountable" and "to the good guys, we have your back," Arrington told host "Spicer & Co." Sean Spicer and guest host Emerald Robinson.
Important: See Newsmax TV now carried in 70 million cable homes, on DirecTV Ch. 349, Dish Network Ch. 216, Xfinity Ch. 1115, Spectrum, U-verse Ch. 1220, FiOS Ch. 615, Optimum Ch. 102, Cox cable, Suddenlink Ch. 102, or Find More Cable Systems – Click Here.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.