Johnson, Cruz to meet with trucker convoy Tuesday in DC

Republican Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) will meet with truckers from the “People’s Convoy” protest movement on Tuesday “to discuss the harmful effects of President Biden’s vaccine mandates,” they said Monday.

The convoy, which has staked out in the Washington, D.C., area since last week, is calling for an “end the State of Emergency that led to overreaching mandates.”

Inspired by the trucker convoy that shut down Windsor, Ontario’s Ambassador Bridge in Canada, the People’s Convoy calls itself “a peaceful and unified transcontinental movement.”

“We are law-abiding citizens that are just exercising our rights to this protest,” said People’s Convoy organizer Brian Brase.

Capitol Police issued an emergency declaration Sunday “to ensure that the US Capitol police are able to operate and respond as necessary” in response to trucker presence in D.C.

The Pentagon extended National Guard support to the Capitol Police Monday in anticipation of further protest by the People’s Convoy.

The District of Columbia has repeatedly announced that it is “monitoring demonstration activity” and warned residents that trucker protests may result in road shutdowns or other inconveniences.

Additional Republican lawmakers have expressed approval of trucker convoy protests both in Canada and in the U.S., most notably Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

“I’m all for it,” Paul said in early February, speaking of trucker protests. “Civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country, from slavery to civil rights, you name it. Peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates.”

The specific goals of the truckers is unclear. Most federal coronavirus restrictions are no longer in place, and, like many other localities, Washington earlier this month lifted its indoor mask mandate.