[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 18 (Thursday, February 24, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CAPITOL HILL SECURITY

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I come to the floor to raise a question 
which I can't believe I have to keep raising over and over again.
  Many of us attended the services for Officer Chestnut and Agent 
Gibson. They were part of the Capitol Hill police force. They were here 
every day not only protecting Senators and Representatives but the 
public. I started speaking about this before. We had the 1-week break. 
I want to come back to this again. This is the one issue on which I 
want to focus.
  We made a commitment to do everything we could possibly do to make 
sure the officers were as safe as possible and would never have to go 
through this kind of hell again, for families and for loved ones, and 
that the public would be safe. Part of that commitment was the idea 
that surely at the different stations, especially those with the most 
public, we would have at least two officers.
  This morning, again--I think it is the Second Street or C Street 
entrance, the barricaded part of the Hart Building--at about 10 o'clock 
in the morning when I came in there was one police officer with all 
sorts of people. There must have been about 20 people streaming in. 
That one officer is in peril, and the public is in peril.
  I cannot believe we have not lived up to our commitment. I say to 
colleagues that it is pretty simple. I think the Senate Sergeant at 
Arms said this: A, we need to pass a supplemental appropriations bill 
so that you can use overtime in the short run to do the staffing so we 
have two officers at each one of these stations, or each one of these 
posts; and, B--I applauded the Senate Sergeant at Arms--we need to hire 
about 100 more officers so that on a permanent basis we can staff and 
have two officers at each one of these posts.

  I am telling you, colleagues, what we have done is absolutely 
unconscionable, or what we have not done. How in the world can whoever 
makes these appropriations decisions--given all we have been through, 
given all of our concern and all of the commitment we have made, given 
the service we attended for the two officers who were slain--how can we 
not put the resources into this so our officers are safe, and, for that 
matter, so we are safe and the public is safe?
  I for the life of me don't get it. I honest to goodness don't get it. 
I think that every day I am going to come out and mention this. I can't 
believe this.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
  The Senator from Minnesota knows I support him on this issue. I am 
the only former Capitol Hill police officer serving in the Senate. I 
know the importance of the issue on which he has spoken. I followed the 
Senator on a number of occasions, and I back up everything he said. I 
agree with him.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Having talked to the Senate Sergeant at Arms, I think 
that Senators who care about this issue--and I think all do--need to 
make sure our voices are heard. We support the Capitol Police.
  On the House side, there seems to be some slowness on a decision 
about whether or not we will pass through the supplemental 
appropriations bill and whether or not we will do the job here.
  I say to colleagues one more time, I think this is a scandal. I think 
it is an absolute scandal. We have two officers that have lost their 
lives. I believe we have made a commitment to the police officers and 
to their families. I think we have to do much better. It won't happen 
right away, but at least the decisions need to be made so we can do the 
staffing to make sure we have two officers at each post.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following 
Senator Mack, the Senator from South Carolina, Mr. Hollings, be 
recognized for 15 minutes as if in morning business.
  Mr. MACK. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we will make sure that Senator Hollings has 
15 minutes.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from South Carolina be 
allowed to speak for 15 minutes, following Senator Murkowski. The 
Senator from Washington has agreed to allow the Senator to speak before 
him. That will be about 30 minutes from now.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gorton). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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