[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 79 (Tuesday, May 15, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3942-H3945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE THAT CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT SHOULD 
           EMPOWER CREATION OF POLICE AND COMMUNITY ALLIANCES

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 285) expressing the sense of the United States 
House of Representatives that Congress and the President should empower 
the creation of police and community alliances designed to enhance and 
improve communication and collaboration between members of the law 
enforcement community and the public they serve.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 285

       Whereas the United States of America was founded upon the 
     principles of republican governance which include, but are 
     not limited to, an adherence to the rule of law;
       Whereas the American law enforcement community embodies 
     society's most salient defenders of the rule of law;
       Whereas the ability of the American law enforcement 
     community to effectively preserve the rights of American 
     citizens and uphold the rule of law is predicated upon a 
     healthy and collaborative relationship between police 
     officers and the communities they serve;
       Whereas police and community relations have recently 
     experienced periods of strain, where mistrust and suspicion 
     have come to dominate police and community interactions in 
     many communities and undermine effective policing strategies 
     and public safety;
       Whereas the legitimate concerns of citizens as well as 
     those of the law enforcement community are not always well 
     understood by each respective constituency; and
       Whereas an open, constructive, and mutually respectful 
     dialogue meant to address

[[Page H3943]]

     these legitimate concerns can dramatically improve police and 
     community relations, improve public safety, and engage all of 
     society's stakeholders: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that Congress and the President should 
     empower the creation of police and community alliances 
     designed to enhance and improve communication and 
     collaboration between members of the law enforcement 
     community and the public they serve.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Costello of Pennsylvania). Pursuant to 
the rule, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous materials on H. Res. 285, currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I am pleased the House is considering this resolution today, which 
highlights the critical need to strengthen relationships between police 
departments and the communities they serve.
  This resolution, cosponsored by the gentleman from the great 
Commonwealth of Virginia (Mr. Taylor), expresses the sense of the 
United States House of Representatives that Congress and the President 
should empower the creation of police and community alliances designed 
to enhance and improve communication and collaboration between members 
of the law enforcement community and the public.
  Over the past several years, our country has witnessed the tension 
between certain police departments and communities come to a head. We 
have seen communities grieve over the loss of young men killed in 
police shootings.
  At the same time, we have seen a concerning spike in ambush attacks 
on police officers. We have heard complaints from communities about not 
being able to trust the police. We have also heard complaints from 
police that certain communities will not help the police in 
investigating the violent crimes that plague those very communities.

                              {time}  1615

  To address this strain and divide, in July 2016, the Judiciary 
Committee established the bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group. 
This group has held several roundtables and traveled around the country 
to speak to police departments and community leaders. Our objective is 
to examine police accountability, aggregation towards law enforcement, 
and public safety concerns. Our work to highlight and address these 
issues is ongoing.
  H. Res. 285 continues this progress by publicly supporting the 
creation of community-police alliances so that perhaps one day we can 
come to a point where there is no divide between the police and the 
communities they serve, no longer a sense of profound mistrust, no 
longer any sort of us versus them mentality.
  When it comes to protecting and serving the community, there 
shouldn't be sides. We hope for a day when everyone can realize that 
police departments and community leaders seek the same goals: peace, 
prosperity, and safety. We hope that this resolution and our continued 
work on the Policing Strategies Working Group and the Judiciary 
Committee helps to continue the progress the country is making.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Taylor for introducing this resolution, and 
I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as we all know, this is the week that we take a special 
moment to honor those who put on the uniform to provide safety and 
security for the civilian population here in the United States called 
police persons, law enforcement, sheriffs, constables, and Federal 
officers. It is to recognize the importance, in a society of laws, to 
have individuals willing to sacrifice and to put the uniform on without 
question of their safety or security but, as well, be reminded of the 
responsibilities of adhering to the Constitution of the United States. 
That is, by and large, the mantra, the standards utilized by law 
enforcement officers across the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 285, a resolution expressing 
the sense of the House that Congress and the President should empower 
the creation of police and community alliances. I might put a few 
balloons in celebration because many of us remember those beautiful 
pictures of a little child holding the hand of an individual with a law 
enforcement uniform on.
  This resolution seeks to enhance and improve collaboration between 
the law enforcement community and the public. I salute that. It is 
fitting that we have this resolution during National Police Week where 
families gather to mourn, but, as well, to celebrate, where officers 
come to be acknowledged by their nation, and where we acknowledge the 
brave men and women who give so much of themselves to keep us safe.
  I support thoughtful measures that provide mechanisms to enhance 
resources that will allow our law enforcement officers to serve their 
communities effectively. That is why I hope to introduce, with a number 
of my colleagues, the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which 
creates and provides a distinctive medallion, as one of its provisions, 
to be issued to the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the 
line of duty or memorialized on the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial.
  Remember, the family is very much a part of the service that these 
individuals give, and I meet them all the time, sometimes under 
conditions that I wish I did not, but I also know how much they 
contribute to the community.
  The Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act also takes a 
comprehensive approach to help foster healthy relationships between law 
enforcement and communities by implementing best practices focused on 
effective training and deescalation, recruitment, hiring, and 
oversight. I think those are elements that can be very important to 
protecting our law enforcement and our community.
  Our country was founded on some fundamental principles; among those 
is the rule of law. But the rule of law depends on the ability of the 
public to trust law enforcement, conversely, on the capacity of law 
enforcement to carry out their work while preserving the rights of 
those whom we serve.
  The best combination is, as this resolution intends, strong community 
police relations, working together, because there are enough bad guys 
that the help of the community can certainly help our law enforcement 
officers. For those strained relations that have occurred at different 
periods over the last couple of years, we want to, in particular, be 
able to work to give resources and training--as I said, best practices 
of deescalation--and also to help recruit in diverse communities to be 
able to provide that good working relationship with law enforcement all 
throughout.
  We have seen diversity in law enforcement. In Texas, of course, we 
have a number of layered law enforcement from police, to sheriffs, to 
constables, to the Texas State rangers. All of these individuals give 
opportunities for young people to participate in the law enforcement 
arena on the local level.
  In an effort to address these concerns last November, I, along with a 
bipartisan group of legislators, hosted a briefing with the American 
Psychological Association, titled, ``Improving Police-Community 
Relations: Psychological Perspectives.'' The briefing explored how 
improving relations between law enforcement and communities of color 
can reduce violence between police and the public.
  One of the speakers discussed the psychological implications of 
policies that have, to my appreciation, been stopped and not utilized, 
such as stop-and-frisk, that was facing a number of communities 
differently from others.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Taylor and the cosponsors of H. Res. 285 
for bringing it forward because we can always find ways on a two-way 
street. That is what this resolution talks

[[Page H3944]]

about, a two-way street. I look forward to creating that two-way street 
with the passage of this resolution and to including in the discussions 
different aspects of different and unique communities in our Nation.
  We are richly diverse: communities of color, those with different 
languages, new status immigrants, and communities of different economic 
levels. Dialogue generates peace, so I ask my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the author of the legislation and the 
cosponsors, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Taylor), the chief 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Police Week, which 
encompasses many events and brings thousands of survivors, supporters, 
and law enforcement officers to our Nation's Capital. Today is Peace 
Officers Memorial Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not naive to the fact that my words today don't 
hold a candle to the witness or the words we can no longer hear of the 
valiant men and women who sacrificed it all for our communities. 
However, we must honor them not simply for them, but for us, for our 
very society's structure is built on a foundation of rule of law. We 
must continue to strengthen it and inspire our descendants for 
generations to come to rise up and serve in uniform. There is nothing 
small about the big task it takes to keep the peace, protect the 
people, and uphold that thin blue line.
  Mr. Speaker, today I also rise in support of H. Res. 285, to express 
the deep desire of this Congress to mend any rift, to build any bridge, 
and to teach any lesson between law enforcement and the communities 
that they serve.
  Whether Black, Brown, White, gay, straight, rich, or poor, our 
country's courageous law enforcement officers are a rare breed of man 
or woman who run to the sound of danger. They are part of the very 
fabric of this Nation. Indeed, without their and their family's 
sacrifices, our society would most certainly be torn apart with the 
darkest of our human impulses.
  Their higher purpose and profession has been invaded by politics. 
Sure, there are bad apples who must be weeded out with accountability 
for an imperfect system. During this Police Week, let us come together, 
like we do in unity of our prayer and of our pledge to this great 
Nation.
  H. Res. 285 encourages us to do better as a society. Law enforcement 
officers could always work harder on putting themselves in the shoes of 
skeptical people in the community to understand why there is fear, why 
some see the law as opposition rather than the same team, and why they 
may see, in their lives, that upholding the law is a curse rather than 
a blessing. And, my fellow Americans, we must do better.
  We in the neighborhoods have to try to look through the eyes of law 
enforcement men and women who seek to protect us, help them understand 
where we are coming from, educate ourselves on the law, and show more 
respect for it. We must create more bonds, build more trust, and teach 
more communication, not blow up the very relationships that matter for 
ourselves, for our safety, and for our security.
  H. Res. 285 states that the U.S. Government should place more weight 
between the creation of police and community alliances that are 
designed to enhance and improve the causes of communication and 
collaboration between the members of both groups.
  Mr. Speaker, I know there is much concern and divide in our country 
right now on this topic, but we can choose to move in that dangerous 
direction as a nation divided into our respective camps. We can follow 
in the footsteps of other parts of the world and some of our own 
episodes in the past, with both sides contributing to people fearing 
for their safety and causing unnecessary injuries or even death, or we 
can realize that we are all on the same side and have civil 
conversations and express our concerns and questions without the stain 
of ugliness that has been far too common.
  Never should one feel scared of those in uniform because of the color 
of their skin, the style of their clothes, or what side of town they 
come from, and never should one of the 99.9 percent of law enforcement 
officers in good standing be subjected to disrespect, noncooperation, 
or unnecessary fear for their own lives. Let us start and always 
believe that all of us support the rule of law and that each of us 
truly cares about our causes, our community, and our country.
  H. Res. 285 acknowledges the great work that law enforcement officers 
do to keep their communities safe, and it pushes for an increase of 
dialogue surrounding legitimate concerns within the community and, in 
turn, our country.
  Mr. Speaker, we have faced difficult times in our past and there will 
be difficult times in our future, but I believe in the resiliency of 
this Nation. I believe our checks and balances realign over time and 
are lasting. Most of all, I believe in our people, that, ultimately, 
the push and pull of freedom under the rule of law and debate and 
democracy are what strengthens us, our culture, and our society.
  Let us choose to engage as one team. Let us always be calm, for calm 
is contagious. It will help us better serve each other and understand 
each other. In doing so, we shall rise together as one nation under 
God.

  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
resolution, H. Res. 285.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3\1/2\ 
minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), 
well known for his commitment to first responders throughout the 
Nation.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to associate myself with the words of Scott 
Taylor, the Congressman from Virginia.
  This is National Police Week. I would like to see the passage of H. 
Res. 285.
  As a lead Democratic sponsor of this legislation and co-chair of the 
Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I know the importance of 
enhancing and improving communication and collaboration between members 
of the law enforcement community and the public they serve.
  Thousands of law enforcement officers and their families have 
traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to pay tribute to those who 
made the ultimate sacrifice. While we give thanks every day to the men 
and women serving and protecting our communities, this week is a 
perfect opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to show America's law enforcement 
that we have their back here in the Congress of the United States and 
around the country.
  Every day our Nation's law enforcement officers put their lives on 
the line to protect our families, our friends, our children, our 
neighbors, and our communities. The brave men and women who wear the 
badge understand the dangers of their job, but they heed the call to 
serve and willingly face those risks in order to create safe 
communities for all of us.
  Tragically, 360 names will be added to the National Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial here in Washington, D.C., this year; 129 of those 
lost their lives in the line of duty last year. Every name added heard 
the call to protect and serve and made the ultimate sacrifice, leaving 
behind family, friends, brothers and sisters in arms, and their 
communities.

                              {time}  1630

  As we remember and pay tribute for their ultimate sacrifice, we 
acknowledge the dangers inherent in the job our law enforcement 
officers do every day.
  This resolution before us recognizes the bravery and sacrifices of 
the men and women in blue. It recognizes that we must do more to 
enhance and improve communication and collaboration between members of 
the law enforcement community and the public they serve.
  It is my hope that during this Police Week, we can come together to 
honor the sacrifices made by law enforcement.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the other lead sponsors, including Congressman 
Scott Taylor,  Tom O'Halleran, and the Republican co-chair of the Law 
Enforcement Caucus,  David Reichert. Fourteen years we have been co-
chairs. We are going to miss him when he leaves us.

[[Page H3945]]

  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Goodlatte for bringing this resolution 
to the floor, and I ask for a big vote on H. Res. 285.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional speakers and 
am prepared to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I am prepared to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) and 
the Law Enforcement Caucus, Mr. Reichert, and I pay tribute to his 
service. Certainly, Mr. Pascrell has been on the front lines for a very 
long time, and I have been delighted to join him, first, when we were 
on the Homeland Security Committee and then continuing on the caucuses 
that deal with our first responders across the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, let me indicate to my colleagues that I also rise in 
support of H. Res. 285, and to thank Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Taylor, and to 
also reinforce what I hope will be a worthy discussion going forward on 
the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which has a wide range of 
civil rights groups and police groups who are already beginning to 
support us.
  This resolution has been introduced before, and we were lucky enough 
to get a number of good cosponsors of organizations who believe in our 
community-police cooperation.
  I happen to come from Houston, where our first African-American 
police chief was Lee Brown, who is known as the father of community-
oriented policing, which is the premise, I believe, of this resolution, 
getting to know your officers, engaging with your officers, and finding 
a way to empower both police and community working together.
  The Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which I look forward to 
working with the ranking member of the full committee and ranking 
member of the subcommittee and the chairman of the full committee and 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland 
Security, and Investigations, deals with accreditation, deals with 
development programs that are helpful to law enforcement, processes to 
address questions raised, and as well the medallion for the family 
members' collection of data, and, what I like, the professional 
training funding that will come about for additional professional 
training that many of the departments would long for and welcomed when 
we began to discuss it.
  So H. Res. 285 is a very important statement being made that I hope 
that all of the Members will join, too, and that is that we need good 
police-community relations. We need to develop and empower the creation 
of police and community alliances.
  We do it in Houston, Texas. We have layered officers. Most people 
have never heard of constables. We have them in Texas. The rangers, we 
still have the rangers with historic history. We have our police in the 
different cities and counties and small towns, and then we have the 
deputy sheriffs and sheriffs in our counties all throughout. Many of 
these organizations do public service and barbecues. Certainly we all 
gather together when we have a person fallen in duty, and as well we 
continue to work when there is a tragedy dealing with a civilian as 
well.
  We must do everything we can to improve the relationship between law 
enforcement and the communities we serve. Research shows that in order 
to succeed, we must expend the resources needed to improve 
communication and collaboration between law enforcement and the public.
  There will be many officers up this week. We should see all of them 
and engage in a friendly and welcoming way. We should reinforce the 
value of having a Nation of laws and those who enforce it, that we are 
also neighbors, and that we should look forward to increased community-
police interaction and relationships.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution and let 
us work together for good in a Nation as great as America is.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, this is a good resolution. I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Costello of Pennsylvania). The question 
is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) 
that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 
285.
  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. GOODLATTE. 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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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