[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 50 (Thursday, April 27, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S3042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S3042]]
                   SUPPORTING THE CAPITOL HILL POLICE

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, briefly, in morning business, I want to 
take 2 minutes to speak to a related topic. I thank, again, the Senate 
Sergeant at Arms for his leadership, Jim Ziegler.
  I thank Senator Bennett for the key appropriations role he plays in 
his position as chairman. I thank Senator Harry Reid, who I think is 
the only Senator who has served on the Capitol Hill police force, and 
there are a good many others as well.
  I want to, one final time, speak to the issue before us. We lost two 
fine police officers, Officer Chestnut and Agent Gibson. All of us were 
affected by this tragedy but, first and foremost, their families. We 
made a commitment to do everything we could to make sure this never 
happens again.
  It is not possible to have any 100-percent guarantee, but we made 
that commitment, and we certainly need to, therefore, make the 
commitment by way of spending the money to make sure we have the 
necessary personnel to have two officers at each one of these posts. 
Otherwise, if we only have one officer, that officer is in real 
jeopardy.
  I say to my colleagues--I will speak on it week after week--I believe 
we are going to get this done. I know the Capitol Police Union is very 
active. It is true sometimes two policemen will be on one door, and 
there will not be that many people entering. The point is, at other 
times in the day, many people are entering. Even if it is only a few, 
all it takes--unfortunately, we know this; we have been through this 
nightmare--is one deranged individual to show up at one of these posts 
where there is only one officer, or that one deranged individual comes 
in as 30 or 40 other people are streaming in, and that police officer 
may not only not be able to defend the public and defend us but may not 
be able to defend himself or herself.
  This is no small issue. The request has been made, and it is crystal 
clear what we need to do. We better live up to our commitment, and we 
better provide the funding to support the Capitol Hill police. I cannot 
think of anything more important for us to do internally.
  I thank my colleagues, and I yield the floor.

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