Remarks by Senator Tom Cotton on Crime, Policing, and Public Safety in America

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, the United States entered into a national debate on crime and policing. Protests and civil unrest swept across America’s largest cities, while violent crime rates spiked in their wake and continue to rise. As politicians at all levels of government faced immense pressure to redirect funds away from police departments and toward other social services, Senator Tom Cotton doubled down on his support for well-staffed, well-trained, and well-respected law enforcement officers to protect against the breakdown of law and order.

Senator Cotton has been a vocal proponent of the rule of law throughout his tenure in public life. He has defended mandatory minimum sentences and cautioned against the automatic restoration of felon voting rights. In a June 2020 New York Times op-ed, Senator Cotton called for the Trump Administration to deploy the National Guard to cities that were unable to curb rioting, sparking a consequential debate about ideological diversity in media.