The House Judiciary Committee is a forum for some of the most divisive political fights in Washington, including around social media moderation and investigations into Donald Trump and Hunter Biden. But with little fanfare, the committee last month posted a rare unanimous vote, advancing by 26-0 a bill to limit civil asset forfeiture. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), among others, deserves to be considered by the full House before Congress leaves for its August recess.
The law enforcement practice of seizing money or property that officers suspect was involved in a crime has produced a train of high-profile controversies over the past decade. The Flatwater Free Press recently described the way officers in Nebraska’s Seward County have apparently made a habit of confiscating large amounts of cash from motorists under the threat of arrest on drug charges. Under civil — as opposed to criminal — forfeiture, property owners lack many traditional due-process protections.