[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY

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                               speech of

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2004

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives will 
overwhelmingly support H. Res. 622, a resolution that pays tribute to 
Peace Officers Memorial Day, which takes place on May 15th, and honors 
those law enforcement officers who have died or become disabled in the 
line of duty. As a former officer with the Michigan State Police and 
Escanaba City Police Department as well as founder and co-chair of the 
Law Enforcement Caucus, I am a proud co-sponsor of this Resolution and 
want to thank my colleague Mr. Hefley for cosponsoring it again this 
year.
  Since September 11, 2001, many in this Nation and this Congress have 
come to recognize the importance of the sacrifices made by our law 
enforcement officers. Every day these men and women protect and serve, 
often putting their own lives at risk.
  Peace Officers Memorial Day brings us together in honoring the 
sacrifice our Nation's law enforcement and public safety officers make 
to our communities and our Nation every day.
  This sacrifice was all too clearly demonstrated in Detroit, Michigan 
this year. Jennifer Fettig, a 26-year-old Detroit Police Officer and 
her 21-year-old partner, were killed in February during a traffic stop. 
This tragic killing illustrates the danger our law enforcement officers 
face daily not only during crisis situations, but while performing 
routine duties.
  I think it is important as we discuss and pass this resolution that 
we must also resolve to provide our public safety officers the 
resources they need to meet the daily challenges of their jobs--
especially at a time when we have placed greater demands on them to 
fight and prevent terrorist threats. We can do that by fully funding 
important grant programs such as COPS, Byrne, and LLEBG.
  That also includes providing assistance to help regional law 
enforcement and first responders talk to each other in times of 
emergency. My bill, H.R. 3370, The Public Safety interoperability Act, 
would provide grants to local law enforcement agencies to modernize 
their communication systems and become interoperable. These are the 
kinds of resources and tools I'm talking about. We need to do 
everything possible to ensure that our law enforcement officers are 
fully interoperable.
  I am hopeful that my colleagues will follow up on their support of 
this resolution, and continue our commitment to law enforcement by 
supporting these important funding needs. It is the least we can do for 
those who put their lives on the line for us every day.

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