[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 106 (Thursday, July 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SECRET SERVICE
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the U.S.
Secret Service and to commemorate its 150th anniversary.
In 1865, Congress created the Secret Service to combat the production
and distribution of counterfeit currency in post-Civil War America. At
the time, currency counterfeiting was a fast-growing and serious threat
to our Nation's financial and economic stability.
In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley,
Congress further directed the Secret Service to take responsibility for
the protection and safety of the President of the United States.
Today, 150 years after the Secret Service's founding, the men and
women of the Secret Service continue to serve with quiet confidence
across the United States and around the world as they protect our
Nation against threats both foreign and domestic. From ensuring the
security of the President, other senior government officials, and
events of national significance, to protecting the integrity of our
currency and investigating crimes against our financial system, the
U.S. Secret Service plays a critical role in our Nation's safety and
continued success. The contributions, sacrifices, and achievements of
the Secret Service over the last 150 years have made the agency an
indelible part of our Nation's identity.
The five points of the Secret Service star represent the Service's
core values of duty, justice, courage, honesty, and loyalty. These
values have been the Secret Service's foundation for the past century
and one-half and will continue to be the foundation on which the
Service's next 150 years--and the Nation's security--are grounded.
On this, the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Secret Service, I call
upon my colleagues and upon all Americans to recognize the tremendous
contributions the Secret Service has made to our Nation's safety and
well-being. I also express my thanks to the thousands of dedicated
Secret Service agents and employees who devote their time and energy to
keeping our Nation, and our leaders, safe and secure.
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