[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               IN TRIBUTE

  (Mr. VENTO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise, as many of my colleagues have, to pay 
tribute to the two fallen Capitol Police officers Detective Gibson and 
Officer Chestnut that so valiantly have demonstrated, I think more than 
anything, the importance of their work and the meaning of this Capitol 
Building. These buildings are the citadel of free expression and the 
rule of law, our Nation's Capitol; but beyond the symbolism and those 
flags that are today flying at half mast and the buildings and other 
structures, and is the liberty and freedom and the ideas that live in 
the hearts and minds of this Nation's pulse.
  These two individuals that have sacrificed their lives obviously 
symbolize and exemplify the real meaning of this Nation and the real 
sacrifice and contribution the essence of our common bond and the cost 
of freedom that we pledge to one another that has made up our Nation in 
the past, today, and, we pray, tomorrow the democracy that it is. We 
extend our sympathies to the families, but celebrate their lives 
because they made a real difference and mourn the the families losses 
today.
  I know that the people I represent want to extend their sympathy and 
support for the families and a recognition of the important role that 
the Capitol Police play in safeguarding our Nation's Capitol.

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