[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 84 (Monday, May 20, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY OFFICER PROTECTION ACT 
                                OF 2019

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 20, 2019

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Department of the 
Treasury Officer Protection Act of 2019. I appreciate the bipartisan 
original cosponsorship of Representative Peter King, who introduces the 
bill with me today. Our bill would help ensure the safety of Treasury 
Department police officers by allowing those officers, including those 
who work at the Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), to 
carry their service weapons home with them after they are no longer on 
duty.
  BEP officers were some of the first responders when a gunman opened 
fire at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2009. However, 
BEP officers also can be targets because they wear uniforms to and from 
work. Many officers carry personal weapons to and from work because 
they are not allowed to take their government firearms home, and some 
are forced to leave those personal firearms in their cars while they 
are on duty, creating a possibly dangerous situation.
  Allowing BEP officers to carry their weapons home will put them in 
the same position as U.S. Mint officers. Although both are uniformed 
police officers working for the Treasury Department, under current 
agency rules, U.S. Mint officers are allowed to carry their service 
weapons home, while BEP officers are not. There is no meaningful 
distinction between officers for the two agencies. They should be 
treated equally.
  Our bill would allow all uniformed officers in the Treasury 
Department to carry their service weapons home to protect officers and 
the public and so that the Department does not have separate rules for 
different law enforcement agencies under its umbrella.
  I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

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