BYNUM: “I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R.35. Let’s call this bill, what it is: fear-mongering dressed up as officer safety. This bill echoes one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Just like that shameful law, H.R. 35 forces local authorities and encourages the deputizing of randos to do the federal government’s work, punishing them if they refuse. Back then, it was hunting down people who dared to seek freedom; today, it’s forcing local police to become federal enforcers.”
