Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., is co-sponsoring a bill with Arkansas counterpart Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., to withhold as much as 10% of federal funding from jurisdictions where prosecutors have "abused the use of prosecutorial discretion" by not charging those arrested for looting and rioting during Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Her announcement Monday on Fox News came three days later after Black Lives Matter supporters disrupted her campaign event in Cumming, Georgia, about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta.
"The most important thing is that we have law and order in this country," she told "Fox & Friends" on Monday.
"We have to hold them accountable," she said, referring to the local prosecutors and state attorneys general.
The bill would give U.S. Attorney General William Barr the authority to withhold money from the $5 billion Office of Justice Programs "if such prosecutors or offices fail to faithfully uphold the rule of law by failing to properly prosecute criminal acts committed during riots and protests."
Failed state senate candidate Triana Arnold James, her two daughters and another woman, according to the Associated Press, disrupted Loeffler's appearance at the event before about 60 supporters in Cumming by chanting "Black lives matter."
Their chants came following Loeffler's speech where she denounced Black Lives Matter, which has led or organized demonstrations – many have which have devolved to riots – in locations throughout the country following the death of a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
"The left's radical agenda of defunding the police is costing lives," Loeffler said. "It's absolutely crazy. I've introduced legislation that would defund cities that defund the police. But even more, I've stood up against an organization whose No. 1 goal is to defund and dismantle the police."
Supporters of Loeffler confronted the hecklers, including Eugene Yu, an unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate earlier this year, who stood in front of James yelling "All lives matter!" at one point.
"Black Lives Matter rioters came in and they were protesting and trying to break it up, but we didn't stop because, look, this is one thing that our country is built on," Loeffler told Fox News.
Loeffler, who was appointed to replace Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., who retired at the end of 2019 due to health reasons, is running a special election to complete the term. Her main opponents are fellow Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., and Democrats Matt Lieberman, son of former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and Raphael Warnock.
If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held between the top two vote getters Jan. 5.
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