A prominent conservative super PAC on Tuesday called for Hillary Clinton to rescind her endorsement of President Obama’s executive order limiting the military-grade weapons and equipment available to police.
American Crossroads President Steven Law said Mrs. Clinton was “gushing” about the gear available to first responders in the wake of Sunday’s Orlando massacre, despite her previous support of Mr. Obama’s order.
“One year ago Hillary Clinton endorsed President Obama’s ban on military-grade tactical equipment for those on the front lines fighting terrorism — our police — and yesterday she was gushing about the very protective gear she had vowed to restrict when pandering to anti-police groups,” Mr. Law said.
He said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee should rescind her support of the executive order and back the Life Saving Gear for Police Act, legislation advanced by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.
“Clinton needs to put protection of our front-line first responders ahead of politics by withdrawing her endorsement of the president’s equipment ban, and pledging her support for Senator Pat Toomey’s ’Life Saving Gear for Police Act,’” he said.
Mrs. Clinton last year endorsed the president’s executive order barring the transfer of some military-grade equipment to police and first responders. The order also requires police departments to demonstrate need in order to access other surplus gear.
In a speech Monday at a military-grade helmet manufacturing plant, Mrs. Clinton pledged to provide first responders with necessary equipment to carry out their life-threatening missions.
“I will make sure our law enforcement and intelligence professionals have all the resources they need to get the job done,” she said.
She specifically referenced an incident in which a first responder’s life was saved due to his military-grade Kevlar helmet.
Chuck Canterbury, national president for the Fraternal Order of Police, said under Mr. Obama’s executive order, that helmet is on a “controlled” list and is more difficult for police to obtain.
“Under the current executive order, the anti-ballistic helmet that saved the life of an officer responding to the terrorist attack at the Pulse nightclub is on a ’controlled’ list and is much more difficult to obtain through federal programs,” Mr. Canterbury said in a press release.
The Clinton campaign did not respond to a request for comment at the time clarifying her stance.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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