[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8636-S8637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Moynihan):
  S. 1984. A bill to amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require a 10 percent reduction in certain 
assistance to a State under such title unless public safety officers 
who retire as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty 
continue to receive health insurance benefits; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.


       the alu-o'hara public safety officers health benefits act

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, almost 1 year ago today, Officer 
Joseph Alu and Detective James O'Hara responded to an emergency hostage 
situation.
  When the officers had arrived at the scene--they found that the 
assailant had cordoned himself off in a bedroom of a house and had 
taken two teenaged girls for hostages.
  The officers broke down the bedroom door, only to discover that the 
assailant had doused himself, the hostages, and the entire house in 
gasoline.
  At that moment, the assailant dropped a lighter on the floor, setting 
the room ablaze, killing himself and the two hostages. Officers Alu and 
O'Hara were critically wounded--receiving severe burns over most of 
their bodies.
  Both officers remained in the hospital for the better part of a year 
fighting for their lives.
  Officer O'Hara was so badly burned that while he struggled for his 
life in the intensive care unit for over 6 months, his wife was told to 
expect and prepare for his imminent death.
  Miraculously, Officer Alu and Officer O'Hara survived. But, while 
still in the hospital, the city of Plantation Police Department 
notified the officers that since they would not be physically able to 
return to work--they and their families would lose their health 
insurance benefits.
  Imagine fighting for your life in a hospital, in excruciating pain, 
knowing that your family is going to be left unprotected.
  When these heroes returned home--that is exactly what they found: no 
job, disability payments of approximately $1,200 a month, prohibitively 
expensive COBRA insurance which would run out in 18 months, and no 
private health insurance for them and their families.
  For over 5 months, Officer Alu's wife, Sheila, stayed home to care 
for her husband during his rehabilitation--herself unable to work to 
bring in badly needed extra income.
  Further complicating their situation was their 5-year-old daughter 
Christina, who was battling chronic asthma without health insurance.
  Detective O'Hara's family was in a similar situation. In fact, his 
wife still must care for his everyday needs almost 1 year later.
  But instead of giving up hope, officers Alu and O'Hara fought hard. 
They brought their case to the Florida Legislature--and won.
  The legislature, with a Republican Senate and a Democratic House, 
unanimously passed this legislation at the State level--requiring that 
localities continue whatever health insurance benefits the officer had 
prior to the injury.
  Mr. President, although they have won personal victories, officers 
Alu and O'Hara have continued their fight--taking their case to 
Congress--asking us to make sure that other officers not go through the 
same pain, uncertainty, and feelings of shame as they did when they 
were unable to provide for their families.
  Across the Nation, unlike veterans who have risked their lives to 
protect our national security, those who protect our homes and streets 
have their insurance canceled by municipalities or States when they can 
no longer do the job.
  Mr. President, my legislation, endorsed by all major police and 
firefighter organizations, would create a safety net for injured 
officers by requiring municipalities that receive Federal crime dollars 
to continue to maintain the same level of benefits that an officer had 
prior to being injured in the line of duty.
  If a locality chooses not to offer health insurance to these public 
safety officers, it would only be able to receive 90 percent of its 
full complement of community-oriented policing services funding.
  Mr. President, the scope of this bill is extremely narrow. It would 
apply only to a handful of public safety officers, estimated at 
approximately 100 nationwide per year.
  And it is not costly. CBO has already stated that this bill is not an 
unfunded mandate.
  But its message is unmistakeably clear.
  We need laws which protect our valiant men and women on the front 
lines. When they go down in the line of duty protecting us, we have a 
corresponding duty to care for them.
  Mr. President, this bill would provide only the most basic package of 
benefits. It does not grant any enhanced or increased benefits over 
what the officer had at the time of the injury.

[[Page S8637]]

  The bill requires State and local governments to offer only the 
minimum level of health insurance necessary to maintain the health 
coverage the officer had prior to the disabling injury.
  For instance, if an officer or firefighter did not have family 
coverage prior to the injury, he would not be entitled to family 
coverage after the injury.
  Mr. President, I am proud of my State of Florida. But it should not 
take a terrible incident like this to make sure that our public safety 
officers are protected.
  We can prevent this situation from ever happening to officers like 
Alu and O'Hara by passing this legislation this year, in a bipartisan 
fashion.
  Mr. President, allow me to conclude by commending both Officer Alu 
and Detective O'Hara and their families for their bravery, sacrifice, 
and dedication to public service.
  Without their perseverance we would not be here today discussing this 
most critical issue.
  I know that police officers and firefighters across the Nation share 
my gratitude for their courage and selflessness.
  Mr. President, in passing this bill, we will honor our commitment to 
all of our public safety officers: to protect and care for them after 
they have done so much to protect and care for us.
                                 ______