Independent Rep. Justin Amash
Originally a member of the Republican Party, Amash was born to Arab Christian parents who had immigrated to the United States.
He has represented Michigan’s third congressional district since 2011. He became an independent in July 2019.
Explaining his opposition to the anti-lynching legislation, Amash took to Twitter to explain that: “Creating federal crimes for matters that are normally handled by the state obscures which government – federal or state – is responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime.”
“It gives power to unelected federal officials whom voters can’t directly hold accountable.”
He continued: “This allows state officials who don’t adequately address particular crimes to shift blame and avoid accountability.” “At the same time, it creates an incentive for budget-constrained state and local governments not to prosecute crimes and instead leave it to the feds.”
