Democrats and powerful justice groups unite to end police access to equipment they shouldn’t even have

Democratic Representative Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr., a Georgia Democrat, has reintroduced legislation aimed at significantly curbing the flow of military-grade equipment from the Pentagon to law enforcement agencies across the United States. According to Newsweek, this move serves to address long-standing concerns about police militarization.

The proposed legislation, titled the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2026, seeks to amend Title 10 of the United States Code. It directly targets a federal program known as the “1033 program,” which is run by the Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office. This program currently allows surplus military equipment to be transferred to federal, state, tribal, and local police departments at absolutely no cost beyond shipping. 

Concerns about police militarization have really ramped up after high-profile incidents where we’ve seen heavily armed officers, sometimes from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), using battlefield equipment in civilian settings. Johnson’s office made it clear that this measure would specifically prohibit the transfer of equipment that’s just not appropriate for civilian policing.

There is no reason for weapons of this grade to be available to local police

We’re talking about military-grade weapons, armored military vehicles, grenade launchers, long-range acoustic devices, and weaponized drones. There have even been surveillance fears. Beyond banning these specific items, the bill also includes important provisions that require law enforcement agencies to certify that all transferred equipment can be properly accounted for. It is a major step toward transparency, which has been a key demand for ICE specifically.

It would also ban the re-gifting of military property and strengthen the tracking and oversight requirements for the entire program. Plus, it brings up prior government reviews that already flagged concerns about accountability and internal controls within the 1033 program, so it’s not like these issues are new.

The bill has solid backing from 19 House Democrats who are listed as original cosponsors. You’ve got representatives like André Carson of Indiana, Diana DeGette of Colorado, Ro Khanna of California, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan on board, among others. It’s also backed by a broad coalition of powerful justice groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International USA, and several national social justice and anti-war organizations. 

Johnson clarified his stance: “When you see law enforcement in our communities across the country that look more like an occupying force armed to the teeth, masked and carrying weapons of war, something has gone terribly wrong.” He added, “The militarization of police, whether they be local, state or federal agencies, only terrorize our communities and make us less safe.” 

Nina Patel, a senior policy counsel with the Justice Division at the American Civil Liberties Union, echoed those sentiments, endorsing the legislation. She said, “Armored vehicles and battlefield weapons are meant to intimidate and escalate conflict and have no place in American streets and communities.”