CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

Ted Cruz (R-TX)

A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to include rioting in the definition of racketeering activity.

S. 2376 · Senate bill Crime and Law Enforcement

A Republican bill with 14 Republican cosponsors · See all 14 cosponsors

Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

In committee

Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.

The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.

Its path through Congress

  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

This bill, S. 2376, aims to amend title 18 of the United States Code to include rioting in the definition of racketeering activity. It was introduced in the Senate on July 22, 2025, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The change would be made by amending Section 1961(1) of title 18.

Yes

  • Scored +3

    Does this give the federal government more power?

    The bill expands federal power by including rioting under the definition of racketeering, increasing federal jurisdiction over such activities.

The opposite· 3 of 12

  • Scored -4

    Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?

    By including rioting in racketeering activity, the bill could lead to increased sentences, going against the goals of criminal sentencing reform.

  • Scored -3

    Would Black Americans be better off under this?

    The bill's expansion of racketeering to include rioting could disproportionately affect African American communities, potentially leading to more severe penalties for those involved in protests or civil unrest.

  • Scored -3

    Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?

    The bill's expansion of racketeering to include rioting could disproportionately affect minority communities, potentially leading to more severe penalties for those involved in protests or civil unrest.