[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MURKOWSKI:
  S. 1053. A bill to amend the National Law Enforcement Museum Act to 
extend the termination date; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this week is National Police Week, the 
one week each year when tens of thousands of law enforcement officers 
from around the U.S. and some from foreign lands descend upon 
Washington, DC to pay homage to the fallen officers who gave their 
lives in the service of our communities.
  All around Washington we see police cars and motorcycles from 
jurisdictions far and wide. Honor guards and drill teams. And many 
uniformed law enforcement officers with their families and kids.
   At a hotel in Alexandria, VA, thousands of surviving families and 
coworkers of fallen law enforcement officers are gathered for the 2009 
National Police Survivors Conference, sponsored by Concerns of Police 
Survivors. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Concerns 
of Police Survivors. I thank all of our colleagues for supporting S. 
Res. 138 commending that organization on the occasion of this 
significant anniversary. Tomorrow we observe Peace Officers Memorial 
Day with services at the U.S. Capitol.
  Last evening the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 
conducted its annual candlelight vigil at the memorial on Judiciary 
Square. I had the privilege of reading the name of a fallen officer, 
John Patrick Watson of the Kenai Police Department, at the 2004 
candlelight vigil. I can attest that this annual event does justice to 
the memory of the 18,662 names inscribed on the memorial walls.
  For fifty-one weeks out of every year those memorial walls display 
names. Just names. There is a story of heroism behind each of these 
names. Yet for 51 weeks out of each year, those stories are hidden from 
public view. Visitors to the memorial can discover but a few of these 
stories by viewing the displays at the Memorial Fund's tiny visitor's 
center.
  During National Police Week the memorial comes alive with news 
clippings, photographs and patches--even the door of a police car--
placed at the memorial by law enforcement agencies and friends and 
family members of the fallen officers. These ad hoc memorials are 
removed at the end of Police Week. Those that are left behind become 
part of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's permanent 
collection. Someday more substantial parts of that collection will be 
displayed to the public at the National Law Enforcement Museum.
  In 2000, Congress passed the National Law Enforcement Museum Act, 
Public Law 106-492, which set aside land across from the National Law 
Enforcement Officers Memorial for a National Law Enforcement Museum. 
The museum is to be operated by the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial Fund.
  This National Law Enforcement Museum will tell the story of our law 
enforcement heroes. It will help ensure that visitors to the Law 
Enforcement Officers Memorial have an opportunity to reflect on the 
ways that our fallen officers lived their lives, rather than the way 
those officers died.
  Our colleagues may be interested to know that it was Vivian Eney-
Cross, the surviving spouse of a fallen U.S. Capitol Police officer, 
who coined the phrase, ``It is not how these officers died that made 
them heroes, it is how they lived.''
  The National Law Enforcement Museum Act requires that the museum be 
financed with private contributions. The National Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial Fund has been diligent in seeking private financing 
and hopes to break ground on the museum in November 2010 with a 2013 
opening date.
  I am hopeful that construction of the new museum will begin in 2010 
but I am also realistic about the difficulties of raising private funds 
for worthy projects given current world economic conditions.
  Fortunately, these economic conditions have neither deterred the 
Memorial Fund from asking for donations nor have they deterred 
prospective contributors with the ability to give, from giving. On May 
4, the Memorial Fund announced a $1.5 million grant from the Verizon 
Foundation to develop educational and interactive technology programs 
at the planned museum.
  However, I must call the attention of our colleagues to a critical 
deadline in the National Law Enforcement Museum Act. The act provides 
that the authority to construct a museum terminates on November 9, 2010 
if construction has not begun by that date. Today, I offer legislation 
that will push the termination date out to November 9, 2013. This 
legislation will provide a cushion for the Memorial Fund to continue 
their fundraising efforts.
  Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to 
protect our communities. Giving the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial Fund a bit more time to arrange financing, if they need it, is 
a small price to pay. A small price to pay for the sacrifices our law 
enforcement officers and their families make every day.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1053

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MUSEUM ACT.

       Section 4(f) of the National Law Enforcement Museum Act 
     (Public Law 106-492) is amended by striking ``10 years'' and 
     inserting ``13 years''.

                          ____________________