[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5639-S5640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE ON THE DEPARTMENT'S 175TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, tomorrow marks a special milestone in the 
history of the Capitol: The 175th anniversary of the U.S. Capitol 
Police Department.
  Those of us who are privileged to work in the Capitol know, perhaps 
better than anyone, what a difficult and demanding job it is to protect 
the Capitol, and how extraordinarily well the men and women of the 
Capitol Police perform that job.
  We also know how dedicated they are to their duty.
  After September 11 and the anthrax attack on the Capitol itself, no 
one showed more courage, no one was showed more determination, and no 
one was more critical to ensuring that the ``People's House'' remained 
open to the people, than the members of the Capitol Police force.
  We, and all Americans, owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.
  Today, on the eve of the 175th anniversary of the department, we say 
``thank you'' to Chief Gainer and all of the men and women of the 
Capitol Police.
  When we look at the highly trained, highly skilled professionals who 
protect the Capitol today, it is hard to imagine sometimes that the 
department is descended from such humble beginnings.
  The Capitol Police department traces its origins to 1801, when 
Congress moved from Philadelphia to Washington. At the time, the 
department had exactly one member, a watchman named John Goldin, who 
was not armed, had no power of arrest, and was paid an annual salary of 
$371.75.
  In 1827, the force was expanded for the first time, to four watchmen; 
two to work the day shift, one to work the night shift, and one to fill 
in as needed.
  One-hundred and seventy-five years ago tomorrow, on May 2, 1828, 
Congress passed a milestone piece of legislation titled, appropriately, 
``the Act of May 2, 1828,'' bringing responsibility for policing the 
Capitol, for the first time, under the direction of the presiding 
officers of the House and Senate.
  This same law also empowered the Capitol watchmen with full law 
enforcement authority. It transformed a corps of watchmen into a police 
department.
  In 1854, the Capitol Police were armed for the first time with heavy 
hickory canes.
  In 1867, responsibility of the Capitol Police was transferred to the 
Sergeant of Arms in the House and Senate, where it remains today.
  In 1873, the U.S. Capitol Police Board was formed to oversee the 
department.
  At the beginning of the 20th century, the department had grown to 67 
members.
  In 1909, the department expanded to just over 100 members; a move 
necessitated by the construction of the Russell Senate Office Building 
and the Cannon House Office building. This also marked the first time 
the authority of the Capitol Police stretched outside the Capitol 
building itself.
  In 1935, the Capitol Police Board, for the first time, set 
qualification standards for Capitol Police officers.
  In 1974, the first women officers joined the force.
  In 1981, the Capitol Police were authorized to protect Members and 
officers of Congress, and their families, anywhere in the United 
States.
  Since September 11, all Members of the House and Senate leadership 
have been required to have Capitol police protection whenever we 
travel, and throughout the day as we go outside the Capitol building. 
One happy result of that, for me, is that I have been able to show off 
my home State to a number of officers.
  And I am proud to say that a few of them now consider themselves 
almost honorary South Dakotans.
  From the beginning, protecting the Capitol has always carried the 
risk of personal injury, or worse.
  On 1814, during the War of 1812, the British set fire to the Capitol 
building.
  During the Civil War, the Capitol Police kept the ``People's House'' 
open to the public from sunrise to sunset, despite the fact that 
military troops were stationed around, and at times even in this 
building.
  Three times in the last century--in 1915, 1917, and 1983--bombs were 
exploded in the Capitol by groups seeking to advance political agendas.

[[Page S5640]]

  In 1954, four members of a Puerto Rican nationalist group entered the 
House gallery and fired more than 16 shots with .38 caliber pistols at 
the 243 Members who were then on the floor. Five Congress Members were 
injured.
  In response to each of these attacks, the Capitol Police Department 
strengthened its training procedures, and strengthened its ability to 
prevent and respond to such attacks.
  The fact that schoolchildren and other visitors can sit in the 
galleries today and watch their Government in action is a powerful 
symbol of America's commitment to democracy, and a testimony to the 
skill and courage of the Capitol Police.
  Given the risks, it seems almost miraculous that the department did 
not lose a single member in the line of duty until 1984, when Sergeant 
Christopher Eney was killed in a training exercise.
  And we all remember the terrible Friday afternoon, July 24, 1998, 
when Officer JJ Chestnut and Detective John Gibson were killed 
preventing a severely mentally ill man with a gun from entering the 
Capitol and killing others. We still honor and miss them today.
  Their deaths brought into sharp relief how difficult it is to protect 
``the People's House'' and keep it open to the people at the same time. 
It is a complex balancing act that few other police departments in the 
world even attempt, and none performs better.
  On September 11 and during the anthrax attacks, the Capitol Police 
reacted with great courage and professionalism under circumstances few 
people could have imagined even a few years ago.
  Since then, the department has undergone an intensive process to be 
able to prevent, and respond to, the new threats posed by global 
terrorism.
  Capitol Police officers continue to work long days and long weeks in 
order to respond to the need for increased vigilance. It is not unusual 
to see an officer guarding a door to the Capitol when we arrive in the 
morning--and see that same officer, still on duty, when we leave at 
night.
  Without them, we could not do our jobs. And this Capitol could not 
keep its doors open to the more than 1 million people who visit it each 
year from across this Nation and the world.
  Over the years, many fine men and women have served on the Capitol 
Police Force--including my dear friend, the assistant minority leader, 
Harry Reid.
  As they prepare to celebrate 175 years of proud service to our 
Nation, we thank them all for their devotion to duty, their great skill 
and professionalism, and for their unyielding courage and sacrifice.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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