John,

With an oversupply of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and Humvees now patrolling cities, towns and university campuses across the country to quell peaceful protests, America’s streets look more like warzones these days. But this isn’t a new phenomenon — this is the product of local police departments stockpiling free military-grade weapons for decades.

Through controversial programs within the Department of Defense and the Pentagon, surplus assault weapons, drones and other military-grade weaponry that is often inappropriate for deployment on our streets, is being transferred directly to local law enforcement with reckless abandon.

It’s beyond time for this to end. That’s why I am leading a letter of two-dozen House Democrats calling on President Joe Biden to issue an executive order banning the transfer of certain military-grade weapons and equipment to law enforcement agencies across the country.

If you agree, will you add your name as a citizen signer?


John — Just 10 miles from where George Floyd was killed by a knee on his neck, Daunte Wright was shot and killed after being pulled over for a basic traffic stop.

In Virginia, Army Lt. Caron Nazario is pressing charges after being pepper sprayed and harassed by police officers who refused to reveal why they had pulled him over. If Black soldiers in uniform are not safe from a militarized and ginned up policing force — then who is?

These violent policing incidents keep happening because police officers have been trained to see themselves as warriors — not protectors. While there is no single solution that can fix this problem, an important first step in changing the "warrior" policing mentality is shutting down the pipeline that transfers free military-grade weaponry to law enforcement agencies, regardless of training or need, and emphasizing de-escalation and community policing instead.

That’s why wrote the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act that was included in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. And why I’ve now penned a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to issue an executive order banning the transfer of certain surplus military-grade weapons to federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement agencies. If you agree, will you add your name as a citizen signer?

Yours,
Hank