[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6496-H6497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               IN TRIBUTE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to express 
my sympathy and that of Michigan's 1st congressional district to the 
families of our two fallen officers of the Capitol Police Department, 
Detective John Michael Gibson and Officer Joseph Jacob Chestnut.
  They are our officers because those of us who were and those of us 
who are in law enforcement know that Detective Gibson and Officer 
Chestnut are our fellow officers. When a law enforcement officer was 
injured or killed, each of us who have been there are injured in a 
personal way.
  As an Escanaba City police officer and later as a Michigan State 
Police trooper, unfortunately, too often, I felt and I have witnessed 
the outrage, the mourning, the sadness like that that has been 
expressed here in the Nation's Capitol and all across this great 
country.
  It happens all too often, Mr. Speaker. Every other day a law 
enforcement officer dies in the line of duty here in America, every 
other day. Today we salute Detective Gibson and Officer Chestnut. In 
response to their death, there has been calls for a visitor's center or 
to move the security perimeter farther away from the Capitol, farther 
to protect our brave law enforcement officers.
  Mr. Speaker, I really wish it was that easy. I wish we could just 
pass a law that here in America we could say no more law enforcement 
officers would have to be killed or to be injured in the line of duty. 
But it just does not work that way Mr. Speaker.
  If we ask Officer Chestnut or Detective Gibson, I am sure they would 
tell you that, in law enforcement officers, we rely on that personal 
contact with the public that we serve. We need that permanent contact 
to do our job. We need that contact.
  You see, while Officer Chestnut probably really never had a chance, 
Detective Gibson knew what he had to do. He had to protect employees. 
He had to protect the visitors. He had to protect the Nation's Capitol.
  He knew what the job demanded. They both understood their job. They

[[Page H6497]]

had that sixth sense, that, even in the time of danger, they understood 
and they knew what had to be done.
  Mr. Speaker, when I came here in 1993, I realized that law 
enforcement officers, not just here in the nation's Capitol but all 
across America, officers who knew how to do their job, officers who 
sacrificed their lives or maimed or injured each day to protect all of 
us, I realized when I got here they really had no voice in this House. 
They had no caucus in the Nation's Capitol.
  What did the law enforcement officers ask? They ask for understanding 
of what they do. They ask for understanding of what their job entailed. 
So I and other Members in this Congress back in 1993 formed a Law 
Enforcement Caucus.
  The bipartisan caucus promotes law enforcement ideas, promotes the 
needs of law enforcement officers and hopefully, hopefully we promote 
an understanding of their job, an understanding of the duty of what it 
is to be a law enforcement officer.
  Those of us in law enforcement understand the dangers we face. We 
understand how a peaceful day is shattered by gunfire and tragedy each 
day in America. We know that, and we understand that.
  So I hope that you understand that a visitor's center or maybe a 
larger perimeter cannot really protect law enforcement officers from 
doing their job or the dangers that is in their job. But we ask that, 
as they do their job, can we not give them our understanding that when 
our peace is shattered by death or injury they need to know that their 
children will be taken care of so they can go to college, get an 
education, fulfill their dreams.

  We hope you understand that we need a Police Officer Bill of Rights, 
so you understand that law enforcement, all law enforcement officers, 
their needs and concerns can be addressed.
  Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson understood, and they did their 
job. I am not quite sure America understands their job. I am not quite 
sure this Congress understands. I am not quite sure America 
understands, but I know that Members of this Congress, the citizens of 
this great Nation and America, appreciates them. I am not so sure that 
we understand their job.
  As I paid my respects in the Rotunda and witnessed the Honor Guard at 
the caskets give the slow hand salute, it reminded me of other officers 
like Sergeant Dennis Finch of Traverse City, Michigan, who was murdered 
ten weeks ago. It reminded me of some of the officers I served with. 
Michigan Police State Trooper Darryl Rantanen of the Gladstone Post was 
killed by a teenager who had stolen a car and he rammed the police car 
and it went off the road and slammed into a tree. Darryl Rantanen 
recruited me into the Michigan State Police.
  It reminded me of Trooper Craig Scott of the Lansing Post. He was a 
good friend of mine. He was also a law client of mine. He stopped by my 
office, signed some papers went out on the expressway and was gunned 
down. I was a pall bearer. He was a friend. He is buried in Muskegon, 
Michigan.
  There was Trooper Paul Hutchins of the Detroit Post, where I 
counseled him when I was an instructor at the State Police Training 
Academy.
  Mr. Speaker, there are officers throughout this great Nation, and as 
the Capitol Police officers gave their slow hand salute, we salute all 
law enforcement officers, past and present. We salute their families. 
We say thank you. We pray for you. We thank you.

                          ____________________