Cruz Introducing Legislation to Give Riot Victims Recourse

Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday he's introduced legislation that will give people who are injured or who have had property damaged during a riot a way to obtain damage payments if local officials have made a "deliberate decision" to withhold police enforcement during violent events. 

"What you and I don't have a right to do is hurt somebody else," the Texas Republican said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "You don't have the right to assault somebody else. To firebomb a police car and the loot and destroy a small business to murder a police officer? Sadly we have seen all of that in riots throughout the country, and that has been facilitated and even encouraged by Democratic politicians who have made a very cynical decision not to allow the police officers to protect physical safety." 

Cruz said his legislation, the "Reclaim Act," says that if a person is injured or has damaged property, they can sue the city or municipality and get triple damages if officials have deliberately withheld police protection during a riot. 

"In addition, any city that refuses to provide police to protection during a riot is denied eligibility for federal funds," Cruz said about his proposed legislation. "It's wrong and it's endangering people's lives and it's denying the basic civil rights that every American is entitled to." 

Meanwhile, Cruz said he does not believe the GOP's HEALS Act will solve the economic problems coming from the coronavirus pandemic. 

"Our national debt is over $26 trillion and we are literally bankrupting our kids and grandkids," said Cruz, accusing Republicans of joining with Democrats at a time when lawmakers should be focused on passing recovery legislation. 

"Our objective should be maximizing the rewards for working and getting people back in the workforce and I believe the election in November is going to turn on that question," said Cruz. "If we are back at work Donald Trump wins ... we need to be getting people back to work, not just printing money or borrowing it from China."

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