[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 11, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    AUTHORIZING USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS' 
                            MEMORIAL SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 2009

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. 
Res. 38, ``Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National 
Peace Officers' Memorial Service'', introduced by Delegate Eleanor 
Holmes Norton, of the District of Columbia. I would also like to thank 
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for her leadership on this.
  Everyday, men and women from all over the nation put their lives on 
the line to protect the freedoms that we all enjoy. They have taken an 
oath to serve and protect us from dangers both seen and unseen, and do 
so with distinction and great diligence. This very brave group of 
people put aside all fears and inhibitions, risking their health, well-
being, and comfort of their families to serve in a capacity that few 
desire. I believe it to be a worthy honor to have the Capitol grounds 
used for the memorial services.
  Many believe that police officers have the most stress filled jobs. 
There's no question that police officers experience stressful 
situations with more frequency than most people. While municipals hire 
and pay individual policemen, they seldom consider that the entire 
family endures the pains of the job, many of which have a deleterious 
affect on the family. The job and family simultaneously creates an 
environment that can be managed by few. Given the many sacrifices 
officers make during their lives for our rights and privileges, the 
burdens on the family should be few and minimized. Using the Capitol 
grounds for memorial services offers appreciation to not only the 
officer, but to the entire family, which they so graciously deserve.
  Washington, DC, our nation's capital, is filled with memorials and 
museums that help us to remember the countless sacrifices that men and 
women have made for the freedoms of our great nation. We are a nation 
who knows the importance of erecting these symbols to help us remember 
those who fought and died for the greater good.
  The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the 
armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who 
supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of 
the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, 
and commitment of the American people.
  The Veteran's Memorial, which is a gleaming black granite wall etched 
with the names of the 60,000 soldiers who died in Vietnam or remain 
missing in action. While it does nothing to diminish the tears of 
families who visit year after year; however, it permanently helps them 
recognize that their dying was not in vain and that the government of 
the United States remembers their sacrifice.
  There are veterans and other exceptional individuals buried at 
Arlington National Cemetery from the Revolutionary War to the present 
military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since May of 1864, Arlington 
has been a fully operational National Cemetery. Today, the cemetery 
performs services for military casualties from the Iraqi and 
Afghanistan war fronts, as well as the aging World War II veterans.
  This country has a long history of recognizing soldiers who have 
fallen fighting foreign threats. This country must also recognize those 
who fall fighting domestic threats. Therefore, I stand in support of H. 
Con. Res. 38, ``Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 
National Peace Officers' Memorial Service.''

                          ____________________