[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 79 (Tuesday, May 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2675-S2676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          National Police Week

  Mr. President, I also rise to talk about one other issue. It is an 
issue that we are hearing about today because of the ceremony at the 
Capitol. In addition to this being National Drug Court Month, it is 
also National Police Week, which we have observed as a nation since 
1962.
  National Police Week is an opportunity to pay respect to the men and 
women who have lost their lives in the line of duty, as well as their 
families. It is also an opportunity to express gratitude and 
appreciation for the work that police officers do to keep our 
communities safe every day. We owe a great debt of gratitude to those 
who have served and the families who have sacrificed alongside them.
  Today I want to recognize those who have lost their lives in the line 
of duty in my home State of Pennsylvania, two officers who were killed 
in 2017. First is Brian David Shaw of the New Kensington Police 
Department. That is in Westmoreland County in the southwestern corner 
of our State. Second is Michael Paul Stewart III of the Pennsylvania 
State Police. These fallen heroes gave what President Lincoln once 
called ``the last full measure of devotion'' to their country.
  We have a solemn obligation to pay tribute to these fallen law 
enforcement officers and to have their families' backs. Paying tribute 
is not enough, though. We must honor those in law enforcement and the 
families of the fallen in word and in deed.
  One of our top priorities should be fighting for policies and 
programs that make law enforcement officers safe. That includes working 
to secure funding for the COPS Hiring Program, Byrne Justice Assistance 
Grant--known as Byrne JAG--and the Bulletproof Vest Partnership 
Program, just to name a few. Some around here want to cut these 
programs or limit increases to their funding. Fortunately, in the 
latest spending agreement, there were increases for all three. I want 
to thank colleagues on both sides of the aisle for ensuring that these 
programs are well funded in the omnibus bill that we passed in March.
  In addition to fighting for law enforcement dollars, we also have a 
basic obligation to ensure that our law enforcement officers are 
appropriately compensated and that their families receive the care and 
financial security they need and deserve--of course, especially for 
families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
  That is why I am thankful that the omnibus legislation in March 
included a bill that I worked on with my colleague from Pennsylvania, 
Senator Toomey--the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, which 
will help children of fallen law enforcement officers

[[Page S2676]]

and first responders afford college by making them eligible for the 
maximum Pell grant available, now roughly a little more than $6,000--
almost $6,100.
  Every day, each of us has a part to play in working to make sure that 
law enforcement officers are safer and also to play a role in 
supporting the families of the fallen. I hope we can recommit ourselves 
to this goal during Police Week as we honor those who have lost their 
lives in the line of duty, recognize their sacrifices and their 
families' sacrifices, and express our gratitude to the men and women in 
uniform who keep us safe every day.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Rubio). The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, there is no more noble sacrifice than 
laying down your life in the service of others. Every year, more than a 
million law enforcement officers work to keep our country safe and to 
serve the needs of our communities. Our law enforcement officers put 
their lives on the line as they fight crime, and each year, law 
enforcement officers die in the line of duty. Many of these deaths 
occur while these officers are investigating crimes and enforcing our 
laws. Some are even the result of targeted violence against police 
officers. Other deaths involve tragic accidents, such as Sheriff's 
Deputy Julie Bridges and Sergeant Joseph Ossman--two police officers 
who were killed in a traffic accident while working to help their 
communities weather the onslaught of Hurricane Irma.
  On Friday, I spoke at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony in Des 
Moines, where we honored six law enforcement officers from Iowa who 
lost their lives in the line of duty. It was my honor to pay tribute to 
these brave Iowa heroes, along with their families.
  Losing members of our law enforcement leaves a hole in families and 
communities that no one else can fill, but we can honor them and 
remember them and work to support the efforts of other law enforcement 
officers who carry on their mission, officers who, despite the risks 
and the rigors of their work, work tirelessly to protect and serve 
their communities.
  Yesterday, in memory of those who have fallen in the line of duty 
over the past year, I was proud to submit a resolution designating this 
week ``National Police Week.'' This resolution is cosponsored by 76 of 
my Senate colleagues.
  I am also working to clear the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant 
Program Authorization Act through my Judiciary Committee so that the 
bill can be sent to the floor for consideration of the full Senate. 
This bill authorizes a nationwide partnership between Federal, State, 
and local law enforcement and prosecutors dedicated to the reduction of 
violent crime. This partnership will use evidence-based and data-driven 
approaches to policing. It emphasizes initiatives designed to build 
trust and collaboration with community leaders and organizations 
addressing violent crime. A companion bill is working its way through 
the House of Representatives, and I look forward to voting to support 
it.
  In addition, I have been a longstanding supporter of the Public 
Safety Officers' Benefits Program, which provides death and education 
benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, 
and other first responders. It also includes disability benefits to 
officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. I introduced a 
bill to strengthen the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, and 
that bill was signed into law last year. We worked hard on oversight 
efforts of this program to make sure that beneficiaries' claims don't 
linger forever but are timely paid.
  Today, as I stand here on the Senate floor, my thoughts turn to my 
own home State of Iowa, where on March 1, 2017, Sheriff's Deputy Mark 
Burbridge went to work for his employer, Pottawattamie County. He and 
fellow deputy Pat Morgan were assigned to transport a man to prison who 
had just been sentenced to 45 years for voluntary manslaughter. On the 
way from the court to the prison, the prisoner assaulted Deputy 
Burbridge with a homemade knife, grabbed one of the deputy's guns, and 
shot both deputies. Deputy Morgan was seriously wounded in the attack. 
Deputy Burbridge was critically injured and died an hour later. The 
prisoner fled the scene, making it as far as Nebraska. Other brave law 
enforcement officials tracked him down and brought him to justice.
  Deputy Burbridge was a family man who loved to work on cars and 
motorcycles. He also loved to fish and tell jokes. He is survived by 
his wife Jessica, daughter Karley, son Kaleb, and stepdaughter Kelsey 
Brant. We mourn his loss and remember his legacy of sacrifice and 
service this week.
  Our law enforcement officers in Iowa deal with many of the same 
problems facing law enforcement officers throughout the United States. 
They work every day to stop violent crime, and they are on the 
frontline of the fight against illegal drugs and the opioid addiction 
crisis that every State faces. To help law enforcement officers in Iowa 
and in the rest of the country, we need to optimize our justice system 
so it puts resources where they are needed most.
  Law enforcement should target the worst offenders, like violent 
criminals, major drug traffickers, and criminal masterminds. We should 
do more to help those who have done their time reenter society in 
productive ways so they don't backslide back into a life of crime. A 
bill I introduced this Congress--the Sentencing Reform and Corrections 
Act--does just that, and I appreciate Senator Durbin standing with me 
on its introduction. It is a vastly bipartisan bill that improves 
fairness in sentencing, while permitting law enforcement to devote 
resources to tackling their top priorities. It also increases 
incentives for criminals to cooperate with police and to put into place 
tougher criminal penalties for fentanyl distribution, for crimes of 
terrorism, and for crimes of domestic violence.
  In addition, the Grassley-Durbin bill provides for recidivism-
reduction programs to prepare inmates to leave prison and live a 
productive, law-abiding life. On that point, I give particular credit 
to Senator Cornyn and Senator Whitehouse for their work on that part of 
the bill. Similar sentencing and prison reform initiatives at the State 
level have closed prisons, reduced crime, and increased public safety.
  On a final note, I would like to take a moment to thank the Capitol 
police who serve right here in the Halls of Congress. The President, 
the Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries, and thousands of visitors from 
around the country visit the Senate every year. We Senators come and go 
several times a day with our staff. It is easy to take our feelings of 
safety and security for granted in this Capitol Complex, but we are 
able to carry out our duties because of the continued hard work of 
these Capitol Hill police officers. So thank you to the Capitol police 
for your dedication and your service. Our law enforcement officers 
deserve our respect, surely our support, and our admiration for putting 
their lives on the line.
  We honor all law enforcement officers this week--especially those who 
died in the line of duty in the past year. We thank their families for 
their sacrifice, and we will remember the values of public service, of 
diligence, and the bravery they stood for.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.