[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 105 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6825-H6826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H6825]]

House of Representatives

               UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE MEMORIAL FUND

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on House Oversight and the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged 
from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4354) to establish the 
United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund on behalf of the families of 
Detective John Michael Gibson and Private First Class Jacob Joseph 
Chestnut of the United States Capitol Police, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and of course 
I will not object, but under my reservation, I would yield to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Committee 
on House Oversight.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer) for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the United States Capitol Police 
Memorial Fund on behalf of the families of detective John Michael 
Gibson and Private First Class Jacob Joseph Chestnut.
  I want to make sure people understand that this bill establishes by 
law an official fund in the United States Treasury. Because of that, it 
is not only permissible, but obviously appropriate, to use official 
House resources in support of and to solicit contributions to the 
memorial fund.
  In addition to that, the reason the Committee on Ways and Means had 
jurisdiction over this measure is that those donations to this fund are 
considered charitable and are, therefore, tax deductible. In addition, 
there is a provision which says that Federal campaign committees may, 
in fact, donate funds to the memorial fund.
  It is an appropriate gesture, structured in the appropriate way, that 
it is a tax deduction and no tax would be levied against it.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding under his 
reservation.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his explanation.
  Mr. Speaker, continuing under my reservation, many of us attended the 
funeral of Detective Gibson today, and tomorrow morning we will be 
attending the funeral of Officer Chestnut. It has been a sad week for 
all of us; in some ways, however, a very proud week as well when we 
consider the actions of these two brave and courageous men, and indeed, 
the actions of their colleagues on the Capitol Police Force and other 
emergency response teams that came to the Capitol to assist our own 
Capitol Police.
  Mr. Speaker, as we drove from the church, there were literally 
thousands upon thousands of Americans who stood by the curb and watched 
the procession go by, waved, saluted, placed their hands on their 
hearts, in recognition of the contribution to their own welfare and the 
welfare of their country, that these two brave and courageous Americans 
had performed and the sacrifice they had made.
  This will allow all of us, all Americans and indeed others, in a very 
tangible way to participate in showing to the families of Officer 
Chestnut and Detective Gibson that our words are not the only thing 
that we are prepared to raise on their behalf.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for this action.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's words are quite appropriate 
and timely in terms of the death of these two particular officers.
  I do want to underscore that the establishment of this United States 
Capitol Police Memorial Fund is dedicated on an even basis to the 
families of these two gentlemen for a 6-month period. It means that 
this fund will live beyond these two families' needs, and that it will 
become a perpetual memorial fund available to the Capitol Police; 
entirely appropriate for this occasion, but available in the future, 
unfortunately, if needed. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for 
his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, obviously I am in strong support, as I know every Member 
of this House is, of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation for just a minute, I yield to 
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Maryland for yielding to me.
  I would just like to mention at this point, there is another 
organization that has fulfilled a complementary role. That 
organization's name is Heroes, Incorporated. They responded immediately 
with cash assistance to the family and are also prepared to provide 
scholarship funds, as they have for every police officer killed in the 
District of Columbia, I think it is over 300 now, and dozens of 
children are receiving college scholarships as a result of this 
organization. This is a wonderful fund, and I mean nothing pejorative, 
and I wholly support it. But I think it might be appropriate to mention 
the fact that the Heroes also responded in a very generous fashion and 
deserve some credit for doing that as well.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for 
his comments, and I would point out that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
DeLay), the majority whip, when he made his initial presentation, did, 
in fact, speak directly of Heroes and the wonderful work they had done, 
not only with respect to their immediate response for these two 
officers, but the

[[Page H6826]]

work that they had done for so many other officers, and indicated as 
well that the Hero scholarship is probably the most generous 
scholarship that is given in America and will ensure that the children 
of Detective Gibson and Officer Chestnut will not need to worry about 
their educational expenses.
  But I thank the gentleman for his very appropriate remarks.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to temporarily 
withdraw the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.

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