Amash, Gabbard Lead Major Victory Against Civil Asset Forfeiture

image
Shawn M GriffithsShawn M Griffiths
Published: 13 Sep, 2017
1 min read

A unique bipartisan coalition led by US Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) scored a huge victory on Civil Asset Forfeiture Tuesday.

The US House approved an amendment -- added to the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act -- to rollback Attorney General Jeff Session's plan to revive a federal civil asset forfeiture program that allowed local and state law enforcement to seize assets and property from suspects and give them to the federal government without the suspect being charged or convicted of a crime.

The federal government would then give a chunk of these assets back to the local departments.

Heavy restrictions were put on the program -- called the Equitable Sharing Program -- under the Obama administration. AG Sessions, however, announced in June that the federal government was going to revive and expand it.

https://twitter.com/justinamash/status/907706798261633026

https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/907738802009067520

RELATED ARTICLE: The DEA Doesn’t Care About Guilt or Innocence… It Just Wants Your Money

The vote comes as a surprise to some as many House Republicans and Democrats joined forces to challenge the administration's policy -- potentially causing a bigger intra-party rift within the GOP in Congress and its relationship with the Trump administration.

The amendment had a total of nine co-sponsors from across the political aisle.

IVP Donate

The Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act is an appropriations act for several government agencies across many departments for the next fiscal year. It is awaiting approval from Congress.

You Might Also Like

Proposition 50 voter guide
California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?
November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....
01 Oct, 2025
-
9 min read
court gavel.
Virtual Discussion: The Fight for Equal Independent Voting Rights Makes it to SCOTUS
Every major voting rights movement in U.S. history – whether successful or not – has intertwined with landmark litigation. This was the case for women’s suffrage. It was the case for civil rights. And it is the case in the ongoing effort to protect the right of all voters to have equal participation in taxpayer-funded elections – something millions of independent voters are denied across the U.S....
29 Sep, 2025
-
2 min read
Supreme Court building
SCOTUS Considers Challenge to Closed Primaries -- Here's Why It Is Such a Big Deal
In a dramatic step forward for litigation challenging closed primaries, the U.S. Supreme Court has indicated they are going to conference to discuss whether to grant a writ of certiorari to Polelle v. Florida Secretary of State; a case challenging Florida's closed primaries that Open Primaries has supported since its inception....
26 Sep, 2025
-
2 min read