WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a strong show of bipartisan unity, the U.S. Senate has passed the DETERRENCE Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) alongside colleagues Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Jim Banks (R-IN). The bill strengthens penalties for individuals who carry out or attempt violent crimes within the United States on behalf of foreign adversaries.
This bill both punishes offenders and deters others, including transnational criminal networks, from accepting funds or direction from hostile foreign actors to commit crimes on U.S. soil. The DETERRENCE Act sends a clear message: those who act against American interests at the behest of foreign enemies will be held accountable.
“If you commit crimes in America on behalf of foreign adversaries, you must face serious consequences,” said Slotkin. “The bipartisan Deterrence Act helps strengthen penalties for these crimes and sends a clear message about how seriously we take our national security and how we will hold accountable those who commit crimes against our nation.”
Under the DETERRENCE Act, criminals working for foreign adversaries can be sentenced to longer prison sentences. The bill specifically increases criminal penalties for the following federal crimes when the crimes are committed under U.S. jurisdiction on behalf of foreign governments:
- Engaging in a murder-for-hire scheme
- Murdering or attempting to murder certain federal officials, including the President
- Murdering or attempting to murder certain former federal officials, or their families, because of their official actions
- Assaulting certain former federal officials, or their families, because of their official actions
- Kidnapping or attempted kidnapping
- Threats of violence using a dangerous weapon against certain current and former federal officials, as well as their families, because of their official actions
- Stalking
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