Congress Has a Chance to Roll Back the Flow of Military Weapons to Police Departments
The Pentagon’s 1033 program has allowed over $1.5 billion in military equipment to be given to local police departments. The House votes today on rolling 1033 back — but the Biden administration hasn’t lifted a finger to reduce the military weapons in cops’ hands.
Armed police personnel in Riverside, California, 2013. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)
The House will vote today on a measure that would strike a major blow to the Pentagon’s 1033 program, which has authorized the transfer of over $1.5 billion worth of military equipment to local police departments since 2013.
An amendment to the annual military policy bill offered by Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) would prohibit the transfer of various types of combat gear including firearms, military vehicles, and aircraft.
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