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“Three years ago, white supremacists affiliated with paramilitary organizations stormed the U.S. Capitol, shattering windows, walls, and the families of five U.S. Capitol police officers,” bill sponsor Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said in a news release. “Private paramilitary actors, such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, pose a serious threat to democracy and the rule of law, and we must create new prohibitions on their unauthorized activities that interfere with the exercise of people’s constitutional rights. The forces of bigotry, hatred, and violent extremism must be stopped for the sake of our democracy.”
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While all 50 states prohibit private paramilitary activity, according to a Georgetown Law analysis, there are no federal laws governing it. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups had a presence at the Jan. 6 riots, which have resulted in almost 1,000 criminal convictions.
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio received the longest sentence, with 22 years behind bars for his role in the seditious conspiracy to stop the transfer of power from former President Donald Trump, who lost the 2020 election, to President Joe Biden.
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a bill co-sponsor, said the groups use “political violence” to intimidate people and threaten democracy.
