[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2951-S2953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
National Police Week
Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to
honor the incredible men and women of our Nation's law enforcement
agencies. Each year, peace officers from all over the country and from
countries all over
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the world come to Washington, DC, to celebrate and remember the lives
of their colleagues whom they have lost in the line of duty.
The men and women who serve as peace officers in our Tribal, Federal,
State, and local law enforcement agencies selflessly put their lives
before the lives of those whom they have taken an oath to protect and
serve. I am here to not only remember those peace officers we have lost
but to thank each and every officer who puts on a uniform and a badge
every day to protect our citizens and our communities.
As a former attorney general of North Dakota, I have always had a
special relationship and appreciation for law enforcement. Serving as
the top law enforcement officer in my State will always be one of the
most meaningful moments in my professional career. When I began serving
as attorney general, law enforcement wasn't one of the goals I had. So
I told my head of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a brilliant
leader by the name of Bill Broer, that he could just deal with the law
enforcement portion of the job, and I would take responsibility for the
rest of the job.
Bill was going to have none of that, and consistently invited me
along as he visited peace officers from all over the State, as we went
to intel meetings, and as we talked about the challenges of equipping
and staffing our law enforcement agencies. I can tell my colleagues
that after 8 years of being North Dakota's attorney general, that
portion of the job was the job I miss and love the most because I
worked with the finest collection of peace officers in the country, and
I could not be more proud to continue that work and work alongside of
them as their U.S. Senator.
I am here to thank each and every one of the peace officers who
selflessly serve in communities throughout North Dakota and to let you
know I don't just appreciate the work you do and the sacrifices you and
your family make each and every day, but I also have your back, 24/7,
365 days a year.
I also come to the floor with a heavy heart, as I have had to come to
the floor twice already in less than a year, to honor North Dakota
peace officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
We lost Officer Jason Moszer of the Fargo Police Department on
February 11, 2016. Less than a year later, we lost Rolette County
Deputy Colt Allery on January 18, 2017. I say ``we'' because the loss
of these fine, young peace officers was felt across the entire State of
North Dakota, and it still impacts their families, their departments,
and our communities to this day.
Both of these young men made the ultimate sacrifice in service to
their State and their communities, each succumbing to gunshot wounds
inflicted by individuals who were prepared to inflict even more damage
and take more lives. The brave actions of these two peace officers
prevented that from happening.
Officer Jason Moszer's name was etched into the Peace Officer
Memorial here in Washington, DC, this week, and his name was read out
loud during a ceremony this past weekend honoring all the officers who
died in the line of duty last year and whose names have been added to
the wall.
Officer Moszer's name will now serve as an example not just to North
Dakotans but to people from all over this country and all around the
world who visit the memorial each year. He will serve as an example of
the best our State and country has to offer, an example of what it
truly means to have lived and died so others may be safe; quite simply,
an example for everyone of what it means to be a hero.
We must also remember the families of our peace officers that
sacrifice so much, not knowing if their loved ones will return each
time they walk out the door. I want to recognize Officer Moszer's
family, his wife Rachel, his children Dillan and Jolee, his brother
Brian, his sister Michelle, and especially his parents Dave and Karen,
who care so much and have sacrificed so much and today suffer that loss
with their community, but, more importantly, in private. So I know what
Jason meant to you. I know what he means to you. He now belongs to the
entire State of North Dakota. We will never forget his name or his
sacrifice.
To the men and women of the Fargo Police Department, led by a great
guy, Chief David Todd, I commend all of you for your courage and
strength, for standing alongside the Moszers every step of the way.
Jason's loss was your loss too. I stand in awe and appreciation of the
job you do each and every day, and I thank you.
Next year, unfortunately, I will be coming to the floor again to
honor Deputy Allery, as his name will be engraved on the memorial wall.
My heart breaks about having to do this again, but I also consider it
an incredible privilege to honor the very best of what we as a State
and country have to offer.
To all of our peace officers, especially those back home in North
Dakota, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sacrifice to
the people of Fargo and the State of North Dakota.
I also want to mention that we walk by peace officers every day--
peace officers who have the responsibility of protecting the most
iconic image of American democracy; that is, the U.S. Capitol and the
buildings we serve in. They stand ready to take anything that walks
through that door. Let me tell you, anyone who thinks that is an easy
job--trying to anticipate, trying to pay attention, and trying to know
how to treat our citizens with the utmost respect but also recognizing
that every one of those people coming through the door at any of these
gates, any of these doors, could be intent on doing damage to this
institution and causing death among the people we work with every day--
it is an awesome responsibility and I think a responsibility that too
often goes unattended and unrecognized and unappreciated.
I want to stand today and give a shout-out not only to the great
peace officers of my State but the great peace officers who serve with
us every day. Whether they are in border patrol and protection, whether
they are in Customs and Border Protection, whether they are police
officers at the parks, whether they are police officers serving all
across these Federal agencies, whether it be ICE or the FBI, we should
be proud of the work that they do. We should be standing with them in
the work they do because their job is as important as our job, and that
is to protect our country and protect our people.
So I want to say it is not enough to just stand here and recognize
the heroes. If we really want to appreciate peace officers and peace
officer week, and if we want to really honor peace officers, every day
is a day that we say thank you. Every day we pass a uniform of a peace
officer who is protecting us, we say thank you. We recognize their
service, we recognize their sacrifice, and we recognize that all too
often they are the only people who stand between us and chaos, who
stand on that line and protect our country and protect our children and
protect our citizens.
May God bless all of our peace officers and may God bless the United
States of America.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, I, too, stand in honor of National Police
Week. I want to thank my two previous colleagues from Utah and North
Dakota for their heartfelt tributes to the men and women in blue and
the hard work they do in protecting us every day.
National Police Week was established in Congress in 1962. National
Police Week is an opportunity to pay tribute to law enforcement
officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. It is also an
opportunity to recognize and thank the members of our law enforcement
community in Nevada and throughout the country.
Each day our law enforcement officers put themselves at risk to
protect our families and to protect our communities. Their courage,
selflessness, and commitment to serve is a reflection of what makes
this country so great; that is, their willingness to answer the call--
without being asked--to put the welfare of others over themselves.
This commitment doesn't come without tremendous sacrifice. I was
reminded of that earlier this month at the 30th annual James D. Hoff
Peace Officer Memorial in Reno.
The James Hoff Peace Officer Memorial is a tribute to Nevada law
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
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The memorial also recognizes officers who were placed in danger and
survived. Named after Reno Police Officer James Hoff, who was killed in
1979 by the suspects he was investigating, the memorial hosts an annual
ceremony attended by State and local officials and members of the law
enforcement community. It is always a privilege to attend this annual
event honoring the heroism of fellow Nevadans whose names and legacies
are enshrined in this memorial.
At this year's ceremony, we honored and celebrated the life of
Detective Chad Parque, who served with the North Las Vegas Police
Department for 10 years. At just 32 years old, Detective Parque
tragically lost his life after his department vehicle was struck head-
on by another vehicle earlier this year. Detective Parque is survived
by his wife, children, and siblings, and mourned by all of those who
had the privilege to know him.
In describing Detective Parque, a fellow law enforcement officer
said:
He was a ten-year officer and you could see the fire in his
eyes as if he had just signed on. He loved his community.
He served with passion and dignity. He will never be forgotten for
the many contributions to North Las Vegas and to our great State.
His plaque is now alongside other members of Nevada's law enforcement
community who were enshrined on this memorial from past years and whose
stories continue to inspire all of us.
In 2016, at least 144 law enforcement officers across this country
lost their lives in the line of duty, a sharp increase from the
previous year.
Let's not forget that behind the names--the many names--of those who
have fallen are the people, spouses, children, and parents who may not
have had a chance to say good-bye. Most of us will never know their
pain, but we are deeply appreciative of their unwavering support for
their community. While there is nothing we can do to bring back those
who died in the line of duty, I am committed to doing everything I can
at the Federal level to try to prevent it from happening to one more
officer and one more family.
I am proud to support the Back the Blue Act, legislation that
increases penalties for killing law enforcement officials. The bill
ensures that anyone who purposely targets law enforcement should, and
would, face justice for that crime.
The Nevada law enforcement community has my full support this Police
Week--and every week and every day, each year they are on the job.
To all our law enforcement officials, we are all indebted to you and
your families for all your sacrifices, and I am personally and
sincerely grateful for your dedication to the people of Nevada.
To our protectors, our peacekeepers, and those who are first to
answer the call for help and who run toward, not away, from danger, we
thank you, and we honor you.
I yield the floor.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I oppose Jeffrey Rosen's nomination to
be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Mr. Rosen has
a troubling history of standing with industry over consumers and
opposing common sense public health and environmental protections.
In both his time as general counsel at the Department of
Transportation in the George W. Bush administration and his private
sector work on behalf of industry, Mr. Rosen advocated for limits on
the agency's authority to protect health and safety through the
regulatory process. In one case when he was at the Department of
Transportation, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency
proposed a weak standard for the required strength of vehicle roofs,
which could collapse in rollovers. In addition to the weak standard,
the rule would make it difficult for consumers who had been in
accidents to seek damages from the companies responsible.
Mr. Rosen has also repeatedly questioned the necessity of limiting
carbon emissions from vehicles. He opposed efforts to improve fuel
economy standards that have spurred innovation, cut pollution, and
saved consumers at the pump.
Mr. Rosen's ideological approach to regulation appears bent on
minimizing rulemaking at any costs, regardless of the need. He has
advocated for one-in, one-out regulatory schemes and ``regulatory
budgeting'' that place arbitrary limits that would interfere with the
ability of agencies to implement the law.
Agency leadership must focus on their mission and use the best
available science and data to guide implementation of the law. Based on
Mr. Rosen's history, I am concerned that he may politicize rulemaking,
so I must oppose his nomination today.
Mr. HELLER. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.