A Year to the Midterms: Police Power, Public Trust, and Why GoVia Needs You
By Georgio Sabino III – “Team GoVia”
In one year, America heads into the 2026 midterms. Between now and then, Congress will decide whether to super-charge penalties for attacks on law enforcement, how seriously it takes first responders’ mental health, and how much military and federal force shows up in our city streets.
All of that lands on top of something we feel every day at GoVia:
- Communities fearful of both crime and overreach.
- Officers stretched thin, under attack in the narrative, and sometimes on the street.
- A Trump-era Washington using troops, ICE, and federal agents as visible symbols of “law and order” in major cities. (The Washington Post)
In this moment, “Highlight A Hero” is not just a brand—it’s a stance: that every encounter between police and the public should be safer, more transparent, and more human for everyone involved. (govia.app)
This piece is a roadmap: what’s in the major police bills of 2025, how the deployment of military and ICE shapes daily life, and why GoVia exists as a people-powered counterweight—no matter who sits in the White House.
1. The New Wave of “Protect the Police” Bills
Three federal bills define the current conversation in Congress:
The Protect and Serve Act of 2025
The Protect and Serve Act of 2025 would create a new federal crime for knowingly assaulting a law enforcement officer and causing serious bodily injury (or attempting to do so), in circumstances that affect interstate commerce. Penalties can reach 10 years in prison, or up to life if the assault results in death or involves kidnapping. (Congress.gov)
Supporters say this sends a clear message: attack an officer, and the federal government will come down hard. National police associations have urged Congress to move the bill forward, arguing that rising hostility toward officers—and high-profile ambushes—justify special protections. (PR Newswire)
Civil rights organizations warn that:
- Every state already has enhanced penalties for crimes against officers.
- Broad language about “assault” and “bodily injury” could be used against protesters or people in chaotic, unclear encounters. (Leadership Conference)
In other words: this bill is less about filling a legal gap and more about sending a political signal about whose pain “counts” first.
The Back the Blue Act of 2025
The Back the Blue Act of 2025 (H.R. 4310) goes even further. It creates new federal offenses and tough mandatory minimums for killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill federal or federally funded public safety officers, judges, and first responders. Penalties start at 10 years and can reach 30 years to life or the death penalty when someone is killed. (Congress.gov)
It also broadens who counts as protected—covering firefighters (even some volunteers), ambulance crews, court officials, and more, reflecting an expansive “blue family” concept. (Congress)
Critics, including civil liberties advocates, argue that federal “Back the Blue” bills:
- Duplicate existing laws.
- Lock in harsh mandatory minimums and the death penalty.
- Risk chilling protest and dissent when combined with aggressive policing tactics. (American Civil Liberties Union)
Whether you see these bills as overdue protection or overreach, one thing is clear: they tilt federal power toward punishment after harm occurs—not prevention before the encounter.
The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025
Then there’s one bill that actually centers healing.
The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025 (S. 825) would require the Department of Justice to design an evidence-based treatment program for first responders—police, firefighters, EMTs, 911 dispatchers—similar to what the military offers for PTSD and acute stress. It explicitly calls for telehealth options and a clear rollout plan. (Congress.gov)
This bill is bipartisan and framed around a simple truth:
You can’t ask officers to absorb trauma daily and expect healthy decisions, empathy, or long careers without serious mental-health support.
But even this bill is stuck in committee, waiting for Congress to act. (PolicyEngage)
2. Congress in Gridlock: Power Without Balance
All three bills sit in a Congress that, so far, has not delivered comprehensive reforms on:
- National use-of-force standards
- Reliable, transparent data on police killings and serious injuries
- Strong protections for civilians filming or live-streaming encounters
- Independent accountability for misconduct
Instead, we’re seeing a pattern: bills that rapidly expand penalties when officers are harmed move faster than bills that protect civilians’ rights or equip both sides with real-time tools to de-escalate. (Leadership Conference)
That imbalance is exactly the gap GoVia was built to fill.
3. Trump’s America: Troops, ICE, and a “Law and Order” Stage
While Congress debates, the Trump administration has taken a more visible route: putting federal force directly into U.S. cities.
- In Los Angeles, roughly 700 Marines and 2,000 National Guard troops were deployed in response to protests over immigration raids—over the objections of state and local officials who called it politically motivated and excessive. (The Washington Post)
- In Portland, a federal judge just ruled that Trump’s use of National Guard troops violated the law, finding there was no legal basis for treating the city as if it were in “rebellion.” (Reuters)
- In Chicago and other “sanctuary cities,” the administration has ramped up ICE operations and authorized National Guard deployments around immigration enforcement and protests, raising fears about blurred lines between immigration policy, domestic policing, and military force. (TIME)
Supporters see this as strength: a president unafraid to “restore order.”
Opponents see something very different:
- Normalizing military presence in everyday city life
- Risking confrontations where civilians face not just local police, but federal agents and troops
- Turning public safety into a political performance instead of a community project
Whatever your politics, this is the backdrop to every traffic stop, every protest, every mental-health call. It’s Trump’s America right now: high-visibility displays of force, paired with bills that add more punishment but little daily-life support or transparency.
4. Where GoVia Fits in This Moment
GoVia: Highlight A Hero was never about choosing sides between “pro-police” and “pro-community.” It was designed because that binary is killing people—literally and spiritually.
Here’s what we bring to this landscape:
4.1 Real-Time Safety in the Encounter
GoVia is a community police safety app that lets users:
- Document encounters via video, GPS, and time-stamped records
- Connect to live attorneys or mental-health professionals in real time
- Notify family or trusted contacts when a stop is happening
- Access re-entry, social-service, and mental-health resources after the fact (govia.app)
In a world where federal penalties and troops show up after things go wrong, GoVia focuses on the moment when things can go right.
4.2 Two-Way Accountability
Our platform is built around shared responsibility:
- Civilians can rate encounters, report misconduct, and upload evidence.
- Communities can “Highlight a Hero”—nominating officers who de-escalate, communicate, and genuinely serve. (govia.app)
- Departments and unions can use those positive metrics for training, promotion, and morale.
We’re not interested in a world where only “bad cops” go viral. We want a world where good policing is visible, measurable, and rewarded—even as we track harm and push for justice when things go wrong. (govia.app)
4.3 Centering Trauma and Healing
The Fighting PTSD Act proves there is bipartisan recognition that first responders are drowning in trauma. But it will take years for any federal program to be funded, built, and accessible nationwide—if it passes at all. (Congress.gov)
GoVia is already architected to plug into:
- Tele-mental-health networks
- Community therapists
- Peer-support systems for officers and civilians
So when the law finally catches up, the infrastructure for support is already in people’s pockets.
4.4 A Different Vision of “Law and Order”
Trump’s America is projecting order through troops, ICE, and maximum penalties. (The Washington Post)
GoVia’s America looks different:
- A mother in Chicago can live-stream a traffic stop and have a lawyer on the line—without escalating.
- A young officer in Cleveland can receive recognition from hundreds of residents for how they handled a tense call.
- A veteran deputy in rural Alabama can tap into mental-health support after a traumatic incident instead of self-medicating in silence.
That’s still “law and order”—but rooted in human dignity, transparency, and shared trust, not fear.
5. A Year to the Midterms: Why We Can’t Do This Without You
As we move toward the 2026 midterms, the question isn’t just, “Which party will control Congress?”
It’s:
- Will federal law keep doubling down on punishment and force, or will it finally invest in prevention, transparency, and healing?
- Will “public safety” mean more raids, troops, and ICE operations—or more tools in the hands of everyday people and first responders?
- Will the heroes in our communities—officers and civilians alike—stay invisible, or will we start highlighting them in real time?
GoVia can’t pass bills. But we can:
- Build the technology that makes fair encounters possible. (govia.app)
- Document real-world stories that show what works—and what doesn’t.
- Provide data and testimony that advocates, lawmakers, and departments can’t ignore.
- Create a space where “pro-police” and “pro-community” aren’t enemies, but partners. (govia.app)
Your Part in This
Here’s how you can plug in right now:
- Use the platform. When GoVia launches in your city, sign up, learn the tools, and bring your family, department, congregation, or organization along.
- Highlight heroes. Nominate officers and community members who de-escalate, listen, and protect with integrity.
- Stay informed. Read the actual texts and summaries of the Protect and Serve Act, the Back the Blue Act, and the Fighting PTSD Act. Form your own view—and let your representatives know how these bills affect your community. (PolicyEngage)
- Support the build. If you’re an investor, policymaker, union leader, or advocate, partner with us to pilot GoVia where the stakes are highest. (govia.app)
In Trump’s America, it can feel like the only choices are submit or resist, back the blue or defund, law and order or chaos.
GoVia: Highlight A Hero believes there’s another path:
A future where every encounter is recorded, supported, and remembered—
not as a flashpoint, but as a chance to show what justice can really look like.
We’re building that future now. We’d be honored if you’d build it with us.
