Republican Bill Would Clamp Down on Gangs Like MS-13

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) during a television interview on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 20, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Three Republican senators Wednesday unveiled their legislation to increase jail times for gang crimes and create a database for criminal gang activity with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act of 2020 (pdf), which intends to make it easier to prosecute gang members by expanding the list of crimes connected to gang activity and allowing for longer jail sentences.