U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is urging the administration to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to promote anarchy. In a letter, Ernst and her colleagues call on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to use his authority to prevent federal funding for anarchist jurisdictions and to report the amount of taxpayer dollars used to enable autonomous zones.
Ernst and her colleagues write: “The federal government must ensure judicious and lawful use of taxpayer funds. With this responsibility in mind, we ask you to investigate and report the amount of taxpayer dollars local officials used to, encourage, sustain, bolster, supply or repair the damage in these anarchist ‘autonomous zones.’… The most fundamental duty of these cities is to provide security for law-abiding citizens. Instead, we have seen businesses destroyed and lives senselessly taken. Thank you for your time, and we look forward to your leadership in ensuring transparency for tax-payer dollars used to enable anarchy.”
The bicameral letter is led by Ernst and cosigned by 29 of her colleagues, including members of the House of Representatives.
In addition to this, support continues to grow for Senator Ernst‘s Ending Taxpayer Funding of Anarchy Act which would restrict federal funding for “anarchist jurisdictions,” or jurisdictions that abdicate their constitutional duty to their citizens to uphold the rule of law and provide police, fire, or emergency medical services due to non-governmental actors. The bill would restrict federal funding to these anarchist jurisdictions until they do their duty and ensure the rule of law prevails. Since introducing the bill, Ernst has been joined in the effort by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and David Perdue (R-GA). Representative Dan Bishop (NC-9) has similar legislation in the House. For text of Ernst’s bill, click here
