[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6499-H6500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING AND HONORING OFFICER JACOB J. CHESTNUT AND SPECIAL AGENT 
                             JOHN M. GIBSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Burr of North Carolina). Under a 
previous order of the House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) 
is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise for the constituents of the 10th 
Congressional District of New Jersey in support of two great men who 
gave their lives on Friday to protect our Nation's Capitol and its 
visitors. I send my greatest condolences out to the families of Officer 
Jacob J. Chestnut and Special Agent John M. Gibson for their bravery 
and quick action last Friday.
  It is the Capitol Hill Police Force that makes it possible for us to 
do our jobs every day. They also make it possible for all visitors to 
the Capitol to be able to experience the legislative process, the 
proceedings which taken here.
  I would like to commend and honor those two great men today for their 
years of service and bravery while protecting everyone who comes to 
this Nation's Capitol. This tragedy has touched all of our lives, 
because it reminds us that no one is protected from violence and guns 
and people in need of mental care, even in the halls of Congress.
  I have had the pleasure of getting to know many who serve on the 
Capitol Police Force, and I commend them, as always, for their sharp 
responses to situations, in addition to their friendly disposition. It 
has been an honor to have such men as Officer Chestnut and Special 
Agent Gibson, who protected us while we were in these hallowed halls.
  I will forever be indebted to them for their commitment and 
protection, and for the safety of the public. They are true heroes, and 
their bravery is testimony to the best of what our country has to 
offer.
  The Capitol Police officers who selflessly gave their lives are not 
the only ones who need to be remembered. There was also an innocent 
bystander who was injured by stray bullets as she escorted her family 
around the Capitol, Angela Dickerson. I want to send my deepest 
condolences to her and husband Steve, and their entire family.
  Angela was the innocent victim of that random act of violence. I wish 
her the best of luck in her recovery. We are rooting for her quick and 
painless recovery, and Angela, we hope that you will come back again to 
join us in the Capitol, despite your unfortunate experience. This is 
the people's House, and it must remain just that, open to the people of 
this Nation.
  Angela's experience remains us that no one is protected from random 
acts of violence. One of my interns, Teresa, was directly above the 
shooting after delivering a resolution to the floor, and she was lucky 
not to be directly at the scene. This has been a sad and emotional 
experience for all of us, whether we knew the victims or not.
  Let me just say that prior to my time in Congress, I served as an 
elected official in municipal and county offices. On the local level, 
law enforcement, outside of education, is the largest expenditure of 
local budgets. Because of this, a lot of time is spent with law 
enforcement people, and we become more cognizant of their sacrifices, 
the long hours of the police officers, their time away from their 
families, the day-to-day danger, and their overall dedication of public 
service.
  Let me conclude by saying that an old Negro spiritual said, Let the 
work that I have done speak for me. There was the age-old saying that, 
if you can help somebody along the way, then your living shall not be 
in vain. Officer Chestnut and Agent Gibson's work that they have done 
speaks for them, and certainly their living has not been in vain.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Ms. Danner).


         Honoring the Memory of John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut

  Ms. DANNER. Mr. Speaker, the Bible tells us, greater love hath no man 
than

[[Page H6500]]

this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. I rise today to 
join my fellow Members of Congress to honor the memory of John Gibson 
and Jacob Chestnut, who died defending not only our lives but democracy 
itself.
  These men were our friends, like so many Capitol Hill police officers 
who serve and protect us day after day, Congress after Congress, decade 
after decade. They do so with a quiet dedication and an obvious 
devotion. Whether helping a Member of Congress or any of the millions 
of visitors who come to Capitol Hill every year, Capitol Hill police 
play a vital role in assuring that American democracy works. They do so 
with thousands of acts of devotion and dedication to their duty. We 
know they may have to perform the ultimate act of devotion, but we also 
pray that they never do.
  John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut made the supreme sacrifice, and we 
know they did so without hesitation. They were our friends, our 
protectors, and they laid down their lives, not only for us, but for 
the freedom that this institution represents.

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