Calling all pirates: This US lawmaker wants you to seize Russian vessels
Excerpt:
On Monday, Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, introduced to Congress a bill which, if passed, would authorize the president of the United States to issue letters of marque and reprisal to seize Russian property.
The eccentric proposal comes amid international furor over Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which began Feb. 23.
“Corrupt Russian oligarchs have enabled Putin’s war,” the lawmaker tweeted. “That’s why I have introduced legislation to allow U.S. citizens to SEIZE yachts and jets of sanctioned Russians.”
Formerly, letters of marque and reprisal allowed privately owned and operated seafaring vessels to carry out acts of war, which became known as privateering — not quite piracy, but pretty darn close.
“Russian yachts are already on the move and if the Biden Administration and our allies in Europe fail to act quickly these vessels will soon be out of our reach,” Gooden said in a statement to The Hill.
The bill, which would allow Americans to seize property on behalf of the U.S. government, would be a return to a common practice during the War of 1812, but it has not been used since.
Letters of marque have largely been rendered obsolete by international treaties. However, the measure has never been removed from the U.S. Constitution. The ability to grant letters of marque is found in Article 1 of the Constitution, listed as an enumerated power of Congress.
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This would lead to some buffoon boarding a ship and getting shot becoming shark food. Another sh*t for brains politician. His stupidity explains why Paxton is in a runoff with a Bushie in Texas. Gives more credence to the saying paraphrased: “...the first 200 names in the local phone book would do a better job than those currently in Congress....”
I can imagine issuing letters of marque would be an act of war.