Congressman Krishnamoorthi Leads Letter With Illinois Senators And Representatives Opposing President’s Threat To Illegally Deploy Military Forces To Illinois Against Governor Pritzker’s Wishes

SCHAUMBURG, IL – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi led a letter with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and several members of the Illinois Congressional delegation to President Trump regarding his threat to deploy military forces to states to end peaceful protests, even if the states' governors object. Citing Governor Pritzker's expressed opposition to the deployment of military forces to Illinois, the absence of a legal basis under which the President could order such deployments, and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper's resistance to the proposition, the Members sent the letter below to the President. The official copy of the letter is available here.

June 3, 2020

Donald J. Trump

President

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We, as members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, write to you today with strong concerns about the potential deployment and use of Unites States military forces in our state, over the objection of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and against historic precedent, in order to end peaceful protests and, in your words, "dominate the streets." While a president reserves the authority, under the Insurrection Act of 1807, to dispatch the military to the states in extremely limited circumstances, we strongly object to asserting that authority here because not only are such limited circumstances not present, but also such a course would prolong and exacerbate the current unrest.

On Monday, June 1, 2020, you stated that "if a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them." Soon after this statement, peaceful protesters and members of the media were beaten, tear gassed, and shot with rubber bullets so that a political statement could be made outside of a historic church in Washington, DC.

In response to your threat to deploy United States military forces to states over the objections of state governors, Governor Pritzker stated, "I reject the notion that the federal government can send troops into the state of Illinois."

In addition, your own Secretary of Defense Mark Esper stated today, on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, that "The option to use active duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act."

We, as members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, stand with our Governor and reject the use of taxpayer funding to carry out militaristic tactics, including the deployment of combat troops, against the residents of our state. During this challenging time, we must allow our constituents to express their constitutional right to free speech through peaceful protest, and we must also allow state and local law enforcement authorities to resolve tensions to ensure public health and safety without escalating tensions further with the presence of combat military force.

For the above reasons, we are writing today to:

1) Strongly affirm and inform you that the ongoing protests in Illinois do not present a situation where the President can legally invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy military forces in the state of Illinois; and

2) Note that it would be unprecedented for the President to invoke the Insurrection Act in this particular circumstance where doing so would be adamantly opposed by the Governor and against the best interests of residents in the State.

America is hurting as a result of centuries of systemic racism and injustice, and as the President, you should be speaking with leadership and unity instead of pushing to enact martial law.

Sincerely,

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
Sen. Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Rep. Bobby L. Rush.
Rep. Jesús G. "Chuy" García
Rep. Danny K. Davis
Rep. Robin L. Kelly
Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Rep. Cheri Bustos
Rep. Bill Foster
Rep. Brad Schneider
Rep. Sean Casten
Rep. Mike Quigley