Iowa Senator Charles Grassley and over 20 other republicans introduced a new broad package aimed at clarifying and strengthening violent crime laws related to homicide, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and other offenses. When he talked with KCII, Senator Grassley said the legislation titled The Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act would allow the Federal Government to step in and prosecute violent offenders.

“So the purpose of the bill is to allow the federal government to do some prosecution. My legislation would allow the federal government to step in and prosecute some of these (violent crimes) because we want the criminals to know that you’re not going to get away with your crimes.”

Grassley says that this bill is aimed at curtailing violent crimes in larger cities and eliminating potential loopholes that he says have caused an uptick in violent offenses. Grassley will be seeking his eighth term as a U.S. Senator in the upcoming November elections. Grassley is scheduled for a debate with his Democratic opponent and former U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Franken in early October. The debate will occur on October 6th as part of the Iowa Press program on PBS and will be live streamed on Iowa PBS’s YouTube and Facebook page.