- Congressman and Texas Attorney General Candidate Chip Roy was credited by a Soros-funded nonprofit for killing the “Protect and Serve Act” in Congress
- The legislation, which would have expanded federal authority to prosecute violent assaults against police officers, was championed by the Fraternal Order of Police
- A Fraternal Order of Police official has said that Roy’s “anti-law enforcement record disqualifies him from serving as Attorney General”
A left-wing criminal justice reform organization that has received funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation credited Republican Congressman Chip Roy with killing the “Protect and Serve Act” – an action that law enforcement leaders have cited in recent days in connection with their opposition to Roy’s campaign for Texas Attorney General.
The “Protect and Serve Act” was a piece of legislation that was offered in the 118th Congress that would have expanded federal authority to prosecute an offender who knowingly assaults a law enforcement officer, either causing serious bodily injury or attempting to cause serious bodily injury to the officer.
The legislation was introduced in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, with cosponsors including Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
“Our law enforcement officers risk their lives every single day to protect our communities. It is utterly reprehensible for anyone to attack our men and women in blue for enforcing law, order, and public safety,” said Cruz. “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this commonsense legislation to hold accountable violent criminals who attempt to harm our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers. These public servants deserve to be protected in the line of duty.”
The legislation, which was championed by the Fraternal Order of Police, faced opposition from Republican Chip Roy in the House.
The Sentencing Project, a left-wing criminal justice organization that “advocates for effective and humane responses to crime that minimize imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice”, credited Roy with killing the Protect and Serve Act in the House.
“The [Protect and Serve Act] ultimately failed to advance after Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) highlighted in a floor speech the fundamental tension between over-federalization and conservative principles,” wrote The Sentencing Project in a report criticizing the Protect and Serve Act and other federal legislation offered by conservative lawmakers to enhance public safety.
“The growing encroachment of federal criminal law on traditionally local offenses threatens justice, equity, and local democracy,” concluded The Sentencing Project’s report.
Donors to The Sentencing Project have included George Soros’ Foundation to Promote Open Society, which is a prolific donor to organizations that promote criminal justice policies that many conservatives have criticized for protecting criminals and endangering the public.
In an April 30, 2024, letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Fraternal Order of Police National President Patrick Yoes raised concerns about a proposed amendment to the Protect and Serve Act that he said would gut the bill.
“This legislation, which is a priority for the FOP, was drafted specifically to address the increasing number of ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers by imposing, in limited circumstances, Federal penalties on individuals who deliberately target local, State or Federal law enforcement officers with violence. The Roy-Hageman amendment would gut the bill and render it utterly useless. The amendment would transform this carefully crafted legislation to combat violence against law enforcement officers into a toothless bill, albeit with a noble preamble,” wrote Yoes.
In a follow-up letter to Jordan dated May 16, 2024, Yoes expressed his frustration that Roy was blocking consideration of the Protect and Serve Act in the House Judiciary Committee.
“The FOP learned that Mr. Roy was working to craft an amendment that would strike the provisions giving the Federal government the authority to bring charges if, for example, a “woke” rogue prosecutor who does not take violence targeting law enforcement officers seriously and does not secure justice for the officer or his or her surviving family,” wrote Yoes.
“It is our strong conviction that legislation targeting would-be cop-killers should transcend the obscure and opportunistic objections to Federal authority cited by Mr. Roy.”
Roy’s role in killing the Protect and Serve Act has recently resurfaced in Roy’s campaign for Texas Attorney General, where he faces State Senator Mayes Middleton in the upcoming Republican Primary Runoff.
Joe Gamaldi, the National Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police, and an active Texas police officer, publicly endorsed Middleton for Attorney General. In his endorsement statement, Gamaldi cited Roy’s role in killing the Protect and Serve Act as disqualifying him from serving as Attorney General.
“Chip Roy’s anti-law enforcement record disqualifies him from serving as Attorney General, and today I am strongly endorsing Mayes Middleton – a proven supporter of law enforcement. Chip Roy singlehandedly killed the Protect and Serve Act, the number one legislative priority of the Fraternal Order of Police, representing over 382,000 officers. This bill would impose federal penalties on those who deliberately assault law enforcement officers with violence – when rogue DA’s refuse to act. We spoke directly to Mr. Roy and shared our concerns, yet he continued to block the Protect and Serve Act. The record is clear: when law enforcement needs protection, Chip Roy is all talk and no action. As Attorney General, I trust Mayes Middleton to have the back of law enforcement and hold rogue DA’s accountable. Chip Roy has already proven he won’t,” said Gamaldi.
On the campaign trail, Roy has touted his support from organizations that aligned with Soros-funded nonprofits in their opposition to the Proposition 3 bail reform amendment to the Texas Constitution that was on the ballot last year. These groups include Grassroots America We the People and Texas Eagle Forum.
Proposition 3 was strongly supported by Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, law enforcement organizations, and crime victims’ advocates. The enabling legislation for Proposition 3 had unanimous support among Republican lawmakers.
