[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 59 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3949-S3950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEDICATION AND SACRIFICE MADE BY 
   THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES WHILE SERVING AS LAW 
                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

  Mr. BURNS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
247, and the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 247) commemorating and acknowledging 
     the dedication and sacrifice made by the men and women who 
     have lost their lives while serving as law enforcement 
     officers.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, we need to do a better job supporting our 
federal law enforcement officers and our State and local law 
enforcement officers. This is National Police Week and today was the 
National Peace Officers' Memorial Service in which we remembered 
another 139 federal, State and local officers who died in the line of 
duty. I commend Senator Campbell for introducing S. Res. 247 back in 
January. I am sorry that the Judiciary Committee did not take it up and 
report it before today, but am supportive of his efforts and agreed to 
discharge the Committee, so as not to miss today's activities.
  As someone who served in law enforcement for 8 years as the 
Chittenden County State's Attorney, I respect and admire those who 
devote their careers to public safety. I took issue with the extreme 
rhetoric that some have recently used to attack our Federal law 
enforcement officers who helped return Elian Gonzalez to his father.
  For example, one of the Republican leaders in the House of 
Representatives was quoted as calling the officers of the U.S. 
Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the 
U.S. Marshals Service: ``jack-booted thugs.'' And the Republican Mayor 
of New York City, who is seeking election to this body, called these 
dedicated public servants: ``storm troopers.'' This extreme rhetoric 
only serves to degrade federal law enforcement officers in the eyes of 
the public.
  Let none of us in the Congress, or who are seeking to serve in 
Congress, contribute to an atmosphere of disrespect for law enforcement 
officers. No matter what your opinion of the law enforcement action in 
South Florida, we should all agree that these law enforcement officers 
were following orders and putting their lives on the line, which they 
do everyday. Let us treat law enforcement officers with the respect 
that is essential to their preserving the peace and protecting the 
public.
  This harsh rhetoric by Republican public officials reminds me of 
similar harsh rhetoric used in April 1995, when the NRA sent out a 
fund-raising letter calling federal law enforcement officers ``jack-
booted thugs'' who wear ``Nazi bucket helmets and black storm trooper 
uniforms.'' President George Bush was correctly outraged by this NRA 
rhetoric and resigned from the NRA in protest. President Bush wrote to 
the NRA: ``Your broadside against federal agents deeply offends my own 
sense of decency and honor.  . . . It indirectly slanders a wide array 
of government law enforcement officials, who are out there, day and 
night, laying their lives on the line for all of us.'' I praised 
President Bush in 1995 for his actions and again recently.
  President Bush was right. This harsh rhetoric of calling federal law 
enforcement officers ``jack-booted thugs'' and ``storm troopers'' 
should offend our sense of decency and honor. It is highly offensive 
and did not belong in any public debate on the reunion of Elian 
Gonzalez with his father, either. We are fortunate to have dedicated 
women and men throughout Federal law enforcement in this country who do 
a tremendous job under difficult circumstances. They are examples of 
the hard-working public servants that make up the federal government, 
who are too often maligned and unfairly disparaged. These are people 
with children and parents and friends. They deserve our respect, not 
personal insults.

  In countless incidents across the country everyday, federal law 
enforcement officers, who are sworn to protect the public and enforce 
the law, are in danger. These law enforcement officers deserve our 
thanks and our respect. They do not deserve to be called ``jack-booted 
thugs'' and ``storm troopers.''
  I went to the Senate floor in the wake of those comments to join the 
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association in condemning these 
insults against our nation's law enforcement officers. Any public 
official who used this harsh rhetoric owes our Federal law enforcement 
officers an apology. I regret that members of the majority party have 
not followed President Bush's example and, likewise, condemned that 
extreme rhetoric.
  This week is an annual occasion in which we pause to remember the 
federal, State and local officers who gave their lives in the line of 
duty over the past year. It is a difficult week and an important week. 
It should be a productive week, as well.
  I said last week at the Judiciary Committee Business Meeting that the 
Committee should be taking up and reporting S. 2413, the bill that 
Senator Campbell and I introduced to improve our Bulletproof Vest Grant 
Partnership Act by reauthorizing the program for another 3 years, 
raising the annual appropriation to $50 million and guaranteeing to 
jurisdictions with populations less than 100,000 a fair share of these 
resources. This program has been

[[Page S3950]]

very helpful in offering federal assistance to help protect State and 
local officers in concrete ways. It is an extraordinarily successful 
program and it should be extended and expanded. I thank President 
Clinton for his support and for calling for enactment of this measure 
during his remarks at the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service 
today. I hope that when the Committee meets later this week, Senator 
Hatch will see fit to include this measure on the agenda and that the 
Committee will act favorably on it.
  In addition, I look forward to enacting additional measures that 
protect and assist State and local law enforcement. In particular, I 
was extremely disappointed last year when an anonymous Republican 
objection prevented S. 521, my bill to improve the Bulletproof Vest 
Grant Partnership Act, from passing. This bill would allow the Attorney 
General to waive or reduce the matching fund requirement for assisting 
poor and rural law enforcement units to provide this life-saving 
equipment to officers and prevent injury and death. I cannot understand 
why anyone would want to oppose that effort.
  Finally, I am disappointed that the Congress has not taken final 
action on the Public Medal of Valor Act, S. 39, championed by Senator 
Stevens. The awarding of a medal for extraordinary valor shown by law 
enforcement officers every year would be a good way to draw attention 
to the service provided every day by officers all across this country. 
That bill passed the Senate a year ago by unanimous consent. I 
cosponsored the bill along with 28 others. For the past year, the House 
has not found the time to pass it. Today the President announced that 
he will explore ways to proceed to honor valor by our public safety 
officers through executive action if Congress continues to stall action 
on this bill. I hope that Congress will finally act on S. 39 this week 
and send it to the President for his signature.
  These are just a few of the important legislative matters that the 
Congress should address to help our federal and state law enforcement 
officers. We should strive for constructive action rather than half-
baked rhetoric.
  Mr. GRAMS. Madam President, I rise today to honor Federal, State and 
local law enforcement officers who work to protect and serve the public 
on a daily basis. I am proud to be a cosponsor of S. Res. 247, which 
designates today as ``Peace Officers Memorial Day'' and recognizes law 
enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
  During National Police Week, law enforcement officers in all fifty 
states will pay tribute to their fellow officers who lost their lives 
in the line of duty. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial Fund, approximately 130 law enforcement officers lost their 
lives in 1999 while protecting the public. In my home state, 187 
Minnesota law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty since 
1914. Most recently, the name of Minnesota State Patrol Corporal 
Timothy Bowe was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial. Sadly, more than 14,000 law enforcement officers paid this 
ultimate sacrifice during the 20th Century. I am honored to pay tribute 
to the men and women who demonstrated extraordinary bravery while 
caring for our families and communities.
  I would also like to note the extraordinary sacrifice of families who 
have lost a son, daughter, spouse, parent, or relative who was slain 
while performing their police duties. We honor the memory of these 
officers by providing for the families that they have left behind. When 
I think about these families, I am reminded of the inscription on the 
wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial--``In valor 
there is hope.''
  I am very pleased that the Senate is continuing its efforts to 
provide support for the families of law enforcement officers killed in 
the line of duty. Specifically, I have cosponsored S. 1638, legislation 
introduced by Senator John Ashcroft that would retroactively provide 
financial assistance for higher education to the spouses and children 
of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers killed in the 
line of duty. Current law provides that the dependants of federal law 
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty after May 1, 1992, are 
eligible for this assistance. Dependants of state and local law 
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty after October 1, 1997, 
are also eligible. This legislation would change these dates to May 1, 
1978, for federal law enforcement officers and October 1, 1978, for 
state and local law enforcement officers.
  This important legislation, endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police 
and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, builds upon 
police benefits legislation that passed the 104th and 105th Congress 
with my strong support. Since 1995, we have enacted the Federal Law 
Enforcement Dependants Assistance Act of 1996, the Public Safety 
Officers Educational Assistance Act of 1998 and the Care for Police 
Survivors Act of 1998. These laws help to support the families of our 
law enforcement officers and keep alive the memory of these brave and 
heroic men and women.
  During National Police Week, I join all Minnesotans in honoring the 
memory of slain law enforcement officers and their contributions to 
promoting public safety throughout our communities.
  Mr. BURNS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and, finally, that any statements in 
relation to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 247) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 247

       Whereas the well-being of all citizens of this country is 
     preserved and enhanced as a direct result of the vigilance 
     and dedication of law enforcement personnel;
       Whereas more than 700,000 men and women, at great risk to 
     their personal safety, presently serve their fellow citizens 
     in their capacity as guardians of peace;
       Whereas peace officers are the front line in preserving our 
     children's right to receive an education in a crime-free 
     environment, which is all too often threatened by the 
     insidious fear caused by violence in schools;
       Whereas 134 peace officers lost their lives in the 
     performance of their duty in 1999, and a total of nearly 
     15,000 men and women have now made that supreme sacrifice;
       Whereas every year 1 in 9 officers is assaulted, 1 in 25 
     officers is injured, and 1 in 4,400 officers is killed in the 
     line of duty; and
       Whereas, on May 15, 2000, more than 15,000 peace officers 
     are expected to gather in our Nation's Capital to join with 
     the families of their recently fallen comrades to honor them 
     and all others before them: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes May 15, 2000, as Peace Officers Memorial 
     Day, in honor of Federal, State, and local officers killed or 
     disabled in the line of duty; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     this day with appropriate ceremonies and respect.

  Mr. BURNS. Madam President, I welcome our law enforcement officers to 
town. There are quite a few of them. They have a memorial at Judiciary 
Square here in town. They are acknowledging those young men and women 
who have fallen in the line of duty.

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