Senator Cotton proposes mandatory minimum sentences for those who deface statues

Senator Tom Cotton, from Arkansas, has introduced a bill that would enforce mandatory minimum prison sentences for individuals found guilty of vandalizing statues on federal land, criticizing President Joe Biden in the process.

“Any protester who defaces statues of America’s heroes must be held accountable under the law,” stated Cotton. “As Joe Biden seems unwilling to punish those who defaced the area around the White House, it is imperative for the Senate to pass this legislation to penalize these individuals.”

The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Marsha Blackburn, was prompted by protesters painting pro-Hamas and antisemitic slogans on statues in Lafayette Square Park near the White House, according to The Washington Post.

Named the Saving Treasured Artifacts Through Uniform Enforcement (STATUE) Act, Cotton’s bill would impose a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a $1,000 fine or a fine equal to the damage caused to the property. It would also amend the Veterans’ Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act to encompass all monuments or property under federal government jurisdiction.