[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 11, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3289-H3290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1299) supporting the goals and ideals of Peace
Officers Memorial Day.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1299
Whereas there are more than 900,000 sworn law enforcement
officers in the United States, 12 percent of whom are women;
Whereas law enforcement officers selflessly protect the
people of the United States and their communities;
Whereas law enforcement officers serve the country in spite
of the inherent danger of their service;
Whereas more than 18,600 law enforcement officers have been
killed in the line of duty in the United States since the
first recorded police death in 1792;
Whereas 72 law enforcement officers were killed while
responding to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001,
making that day the deadliest in law enforcement history;
Whereas 125 law enforcement officers were killed in 2009;
Whereas, on March 21, 2009, Sergeant Mark Dunakin and
Officer John Hege and Sergeants Ervin Romans and Dan Sakai of
the Oakland Police Department in California were shot and
killed by the same gunman in two separate attacks;
Whereas, on November 29, 2009, Sergeant Mark Renniger and
Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens II, and Greg Richards of
the Lakewood Police Department in the State of Washington
were shot and killed as they sat in a coffee shop;
Whereas Public Law 87-726 designates May 15th of each year
as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the calendar week during
which that Day occurs as Police Week;
Whereas section 7(m) of title 4, United States Code,
requires that the United States flag be flown at half-staff
on all government buildings on Peace Officers Memorial Day;
and
Whereas law enforcement officers deserve the gratitude of
the people of the United States for their service: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Peace Officers
Memorial Day;
(2) honors Federal, State, and local law enforcement
officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of
duty; and
(3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe
Peace Officers Memorial Day with ceremonies and respect
befitting those who have risked their lives and died in
service to their communities.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Deutch) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors our law enforcement community by
supporting the observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Since 1962,
May 15 has been recognized as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week
of May 15 has been designated as Police Week.
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For nearly 50 years, we have continued this observance as a way to
honor the men and women of our Nation's law enforcement agencies. They
protect our neighborhoods, our homes, and our loved ones; and we are
grateful.
The men and women who dedicate their careers to our safety do so at
the expense of spending long hours away from their families, putting
themselves at great risk, and in too many instances, making the
ultimate sacrifice.
On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty
somewhere in this Nation every 53 hours. Unfortunately, since the
beginning of this year we have lost 58 officers.
Despite this ever-present danger, these dedicated professionals
continue to make sacrifices for their communities without asking thanks
or praise. The law enforcement professionals and police officers who
toil in our communities across this Nation deserve our unwavering
support and our thankful recognition.
I commend our colleague from Texas (Mr. Poe) for introducing this
important resolution.
I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1299, supporting the goals
and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Every year the President
issues a proclamation naming May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial
Day. Of course, in the days leading up to May 15, thousands of peace
officers and their families come to Washington, D.C. They come here to
remember their fellow officers and their loved ones who have given
their lives, all in the line of duty. They participate in conferences
and memorial services. They honor the memories of those who worked so
hard to protect our communities and, in the end, made the ultimate
sacrifice and gave their lives for the rest of us.
Americans have been protected by peace officers for 217 years, ever
since the early settlers in Boston, Massachusetts. They established a
program called Night Watch to safeguard those Bostonians.
Not a day goes by that law enforcement officers do not face danger in
their mission to keep us safe from crime, acts of violence, and now
terrorism. On May 17, 1792, New York City's Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith
became the first recorded peace officer to be killed in the line of
duty.
[[Page H3290]]
Mr. Speaker, since that time, 18,600 law enforcement officers have
been killed in the line of duty. Let me repeat: 18,600 peace officers
in the United States have been killed in the line of duty. On average,
58,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted every year; and in 2009,
125 of those officers were killed protecting other Americans. Five of
those fallen officers were from my home State of Texas. Those
individuals were Senior Corporal Norman Smith of the Dallas Police
Department. He was killed by gunfire on June 6, 2009. Lieutenant Stuart
Alexander from the Corpus Christi Police Department. He was killed by
vehicular assault on March 11, 2009. Sergeant Randy White of the
Bridgeport PD was killed by a vehicle pursuit on April 2, 2009. Houston
police officer Henry Canales was killed by gunfire on June 23, 2009.
And Jesse Hamilton was killed on August 25 by gunfire, and he was a
member of the Pasadena Police Department of the State of Texas.
2009 was a particularly difficult year for peace officer families. On
the 21st day of March 2009, four members of the Oakland, California
Police Department were shot and killed in the line of duty. Sergeants
Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans, Dan Sakai and Officer John Hege gave their
lives in service to their fellow Americans, and we honor them in their
service today.
On November 29, 2009 four members of the Lakewood Police Department
in Washington were brutally ambushed as they sat in a coffee shop
catching up on paperwork and planning for their upcoming shift.
Sergeant Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and
Greg Richards were all veteran law enforcement officers, each with
between 8 and 14 years of experience. This loss was a staggering blow
to the Lakewood community and the national community of peace officers.
We continue to mourn this senseless loss and honor them for their
service.
Although there has been great progress in protecting the safety of
these men and women who wear the uniform, the death of every officer
serves as a reminder to the whole country that our Nation's law
enforcement officers still face dangerous and potentially deadly
situations every day.
During my 20 years as a judge in Texas, I had the privilege of
working alongside some of America's finest police officers. Later,
during my term on the bench, some of those police officers were killed
in the line of duty. Now, as a founder and co-chair of the
Congressional Victims Rights Caucus, I recognize that peace officers
are too often victims of crimes they seek to prevent.
When a peace officer puts on a uniform in the morning, they represent
everything that is good, everything that is right about our country.
And I am privileged to honor them here today.
Mr. Speaker, we in this House of Representatives need to always
remember that outside these Halls, on the rooftops and around the
Capitol are the Capitol police officers watching and protecting those
who come to the people's House, to the Capitol Building and the
surrounding buildings. And we need to remember that in 1998, two of
those Capitol police officers, Jacob Chestnut and Detective John
Gibson, were killed in the line of duty in this very building as they
were protecting other Members of Congress from a gun-wielding assailant
that came into this place.
We should always remember that these peace officers every day are a
cut above the rest of us, and they do represent everything that's good
and fine and right about America.
Later this week, not far from here, on the west side of the Capitol,
there will be the families of the slain police officers in the United
States. Surrounding them, in a group, will be thousands and thousands
of peace officers in the United States, all wearing the uniform,
wearing a badge that they wear above their heart and a black cloth
across that badge. Those people stand in honor of those families that
have lost loved ones who were peace officers that represented the rest
of us and were killed in the line of duty. We owe them everything that
we can say that is good and noble about their work. We honor them. We
praise those that are in the line of duty. We remember those that were
killed in the line of duty, and we also remember their families.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
strong support of H. Res. 1299 to support the goals and ideals of Peace
Officers Memorial Day.
Every year, on May 15, we recognize the fallen peace officers from
our communities that have given their lives in the line of duty. We can
thank these men and women for upholding our laws and ensuring our
safety, even in times of crisis. I am deeply humbled by the sacrifices
of these brave men and women, and I express my condolences to their
families for their loss.
On January 6, 2009, Dallas lost one of our own police officers,
Senior Cpl. Norman Stephen Smith, when he was shot and killed while
serving an arrest warrant. He died shortly before his 18th anniversary
with the Dallas Police Department, and his knowledge and skill continue
to be missed within his unit. With his death, Dallas lost a great man
and a great police officer, and we will never forget his sacrifice for
our community's wellbeing. My condolences go out to his wife, Regina
Smith, and their two children.
Mr. Speaker, Peace Officers Memorial Day is a day in which we honor
some of our nation's bravest and most valiant men and women. The work
of police officers and other peace officers places them in danger
almost on a daily basis, and I ask my fellow colleagues to join me
today in supporting this resolution that honors our peace officers who
have died in the line of duty.
Mr. POE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the joint resolution, H. Res. 1299.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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