[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OFFICER JAMES NAIM TRIBUTE

  (Ms. HART asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. HART. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a fallen hero. 
James Naim of Hopewell Township in Pennsylvania was a police officer 
who was ambushed and fatally shot at point-blank range while he was on 
foot patrol this past Thursday night. It was a senseless act of 
violence and cowardice; but unfortunately, such violence has become all 
too common in our society today.
  Officer Naim was at a turning point. He was 32 years old. He was only 
a police officer in the city of Aliquippa for 14 months, and he was 
only a few weeks away from earning his college degree. He had been 
working on it part-time. He was about to be reunited with his wife, 
Sofia, a native of Bulgaria, who had been having trouble getting her 
visa to return to the United States.

                              {time}  1415

  This young couple had a bright future ahead of them. In the midst of 
all of this opportunity and change, James Naim knowingly risked his 
life every day doing what he loved: protecting the lives of others.
  All too often we find ourselves looking for heroes in movies and on 
television, when all we have to do is look next door and see someone 
like Officer Jim Naim, someone who never sought recognition for his 
honorable dedication to others, but courageously paid the ultimate 
price in achieving it.
  Today over 1,000 police officers attended the burial of Officer Naim, 
which reflects the profound impact he had on the lives of those around 
him. I join them in their tribute to his service and ultimate 
sacrifice, and recognize that the world has tragically lost another 
hero.

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