Sponsor
Buddy Carter
Representative · R-GA
Representative · R-GA
The bill raises penalties to better protect and deter attacks on high‑level federal officials and simplify prosecutions, but does so by imposing mandatory minimum sentences that reduce judicial discretion, raise incarceration costs, and risk exacerbating racial and socioeconomic disparities.
Federal officials (Members of Congress, Cabinet officers, Supreme Court Justices, the President and their staff) would receive stronger legal protection because attempted killings would carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years or life.
Potential attackers against high‑level officials may be deterred by much harsher, guaranteed penalties, reducing risk to officials, their staffs, and responding law enforcement.
The Department of Justice would have clearer statutory punishment terms to guide charging and sentencing decisions for attempts against protected officials.
Defendants charged with attempted killing would lose sentencing discretion because of the mandatory minimum, risking disproportionately long sentences even when mitigating circumstances exist.
Racial and low‑income communities could be disproportionately harmed because mandatory minimums have historically increased disparities in sentencing and incarceration.
Taxpayers would likely face higher federal incarceration costs because convictions under the harsher mandatory penalties would increase prison populations and lengths of stay.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years (or life) for attempted killings of the President, Presidential staff, Members of Congress, Cabinet officers, Supreme Court Justices, and covered family members.
Creates a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 25 years (or life) for anyone who attempts to kill specified federal officials or their family members, by amending current federal criminal statutes that already punish assaults and attempts against the President, Presidential staff, Members of Congress, Cabinet officers, and Supreme Court Justices. The change inserts an explicit attempted-killing penalty of at least 25 years or life into the attempt provisions of the two statutes.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to include mandatory minimum sentences for the attempted assassination of a Member of Congress, a member of the Cabinet, a justice of the Supreme Court, the President, the Vice President, or certain presidential staff, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 7, 2026 by Buddy Carter · Last progress May 7, 2026