[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2249-H2255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Auchincloss). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. 
Demings) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, in 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 
15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week of May 15 as 
National Police Week. Established in 1962 by a joint resolution of this 
body, National Police Week pays special recognition to law enforcement 
officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety 
and protection of others.
  My home State of Florida, during 2020, lost 19 law enforcement 
officers, and we gather today to honor their memory and to thank them 
for their service. We thank all law enforcement officers across the 
Nation who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and we remember those who 
are out there patrolling our communities to keep us all safe.
  I want to thank my colleagues for joining us today to give honor to 
whom honor is due. Mr. Speaker, many have given much, but these men and 
women--our law enforcement officers--have given all.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran), 
who is a former law enforcement officer.
  Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  I rise today to join my colleagues to honor National Police Week. I 
became a police officer when I was very young--20 years old. Many of 
the calls I responded to still stand in sharp relief in my memory.
  Today, as we honor the many who have fallen while serving our 
communities, I first want to talk about a couple of friends of mine, 
Sergeant James Severin and Patrolman Tony Rizzato. They were my friends 
and colleagues who were killed by snipers as they were participating in 
a walk and talk program, an exercise designed to help police better get 
to know the communities they serve.
  I think of my dear friend, Erwin Jackson, a patrolman, who just 
months before Severin and Rizzato had passed away, had saved my life 
while we were arresting a man wanted for murder. Erwin was killed in 
the line of duty while his partner attempted to disarm an offender with 
a gun. Their losses have left indelible marks on me.
  Now as a Representative for Arizona's First District, I have known 
the pain of losing the hardworking men and women serving our State. 
Just before I started my first term in Washington, Show Low Officer 
Darrin Reed was killed in a hostage altercation attempting to save the 
life of a 15-year-old girl from her captor.

                              {time}  1715

  His loss shook an entire Arizona community and is a testament to his 
service and his kindness. I remember talking to his family at his 
memorial.
  In February of last year, we lost White Mountain Apache Officer David 
Kellywood in the line of duty. On the day we laid him to rest, blue and 
black ribbons and American flags lined our State highways.
  The loss of too many good officers working on the front lines this 
past year has left unbearable empty chairs at kitchen tables across our 
States and families that are suffering.
  The officers I work with in Arizona's First District are kind, honest 
men and women who were drawn to service for the sake of others. At the 
end of the day, their names are too great to count and the sacrifices 
they have made too many.
  As we honor this week, we also recognize the changes that must be 
made to our policing system to ensure that those who have sworn to 
protect and serve are held to the highest standards, and we, as 
Congress, must help with that.
  We must rebuild broken trust between police and our communities and 
work in bipartisan ways to do so.
  That is the type of police I worked with, many of us have, and we 
want to see that those officers who are participating in that type of 
community continue to work.
  As a former officer, a member of the bipartisan Law Enforcement 
Caucus, and the sponsor of several bills to reform policing and better 
keep our communities and our officers safe, this week is not one I take 
lightly.

[[Page H2250]]

  We must continue to honor the good, honest officers who have laid 
down their lives in the line of duty. We must also work toward equal 
rights, justice, and treatment for all Americans in our criminal 
justice system. Those goals can go hand in hand if we put aside our 
differences and work together.
  Above all, today, we mourn and remember all those we have lost and 
hope that our words will offer comfort to their families.
  As we keep close in our hearts the loved ones of our fallen officers, 
we also think of the families across our Nation who have lost loved 
ones to senseless violence.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. We are able to be here today, Mr. Speaker, to conduct 
the people's business because of the good men and women who protect us 
in the U.S. Capitol, the men and women who wear the uniform and the 
badge every day.
  Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor to yield to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we stand and speak on 
behalf of the law enforcement community of our country. As the former 
chief of the Orlando Police just said, it is because of them that we 
have law and order.
  Democracy cannot survive without law and order. So, I want to thank 
the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings) for leading this Special 
Order hour and for so many Democrats and Republicans participating. She 
is, as so many Americans now know, not only an outstanding Member of 
the Congress but also a former chief of police for the city of Orlando, 
Florida, and, I might say, a serious candidate considered by President 
Biden for Vice President of the United States.
  She is not the only one in our Caucus who has worked in law 
enforcement or overseen police departments as mayor, but certainly one 
of the most experienced.
  As we observe National Police Week this year, we do so at a time when 
we are engaged in a critical national conversation about justice in 
policing. Tonight, we want to make it clear: This important dialogue 
does not detract one iota from the deep and abiding respect that all of 
us--Democrats, Republicans, independents, Americans--have for the men 
and women who dedicate their careers in law enforcement to protecting 
their communities, their neighbors, their friends.
  I do not believe, I want to make it clear, in defunding police. That 
is neither my view nor my party's platform. Indeed, we honor law 
enforcement.
  Over the years, I have been proud to join my Democratic colleagues as 
a strong supporter of law enforcement and to raise awareness of the 
very serious dangers that police officers face while doing their jobs.
  Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson, in 1998, were slain, one in my 
office and one outside the door of my office. They were brave and good 
people who lost their lives defending the Capitol of the United States.
  In my State of Maryland and the Fifth District, I have worked closely 
with police chiefs, sheriffs, and departments to ensure that their 
needs are being met. Together, we have worked to make certain that the 
families of those who fell in the line of duty received the benefits, 
help, compassion, and appreciation they deserve.
  Every year--until it became virtual, and now I do it virtually--I 
have gone down to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. 
22,611 Americans, law enforcement officers, have lost their lives 
keeping the peace.
  Last year, Mr. Speaker, America lost 295 police officers in the line 
of duty. It is a dangerous duty, but it is a critical duty.
  Here in the Capitol, we will remember those who have given their 
lives to protect this institution, including Officer Chestnut, 
Detective Gibson, Officer Howard Liebengood, Officer William Evans, 
and, of course, Officer Brian Sicknick.
  The actions just laid out are ones that Congress, House Democrats, 
believe are important to protecting those who keep us safe every day. 
But I believe, Mr. Speaker, it is equally essential for the efficacy 
and safety of law enforcement to take positive and proactive steps to 
ensure accountability and rebuild trust in our departments.
  That is true of our institution, Mr. Speaker. When we hold 
accountable one of our Members, as we have done, it does not besmirch 
the rest of our Members. No one ought to simplify that one is like all.
  To do that, we must continue the important national conversations 
about justice in policing and rooting out racial bias that corrodes 
effective police work.

  The majority, Mr. Speaker, of principled police officers are among 
those most concerned about ensuring that those who cannot properly and 
responsibly carry out their work of policing are held accountable. That 
is why we passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
  Congress has a responsibility to deal with this challenge not only 
for the sake of justice and public safety but also in order to help 
police departments better carry out their missions and to raise the 
respect and support they receive from the American public.
  Such a policy is not designed to defund police or to lessen the 
impact of the vital function that law enforcement officers perform.
  So, as we join in observing Police Week this year, let us remember 
all those 22,000-plus, those 295, the brave men and women protecting us 
and the peacefulness of our communities. Let us continue to support law 
enforcement by striving to help police officers and departments face 
this moment head-on and emerge stronger, safer, more trusted, and 
better equipped to keep all Americans safe.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor to yield to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson), a former law enforcement officer.
  Mr. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend, the 
Representative who we affectionately call Chief Demings, for organizing 
this Special Order hour. You don't get many friends like Congresswoman 
Demings. She is a true leader; she is thoughtful; and she is a true 
public servant.
  I join her, Mr. Speaker, this National Police Week to honor and 
remember the officers who lost their lives last year in the line of 
duty.
  I can remember, years ago, traveling with my colleagues from the 
Indiana State Excise Police to honor my colleague's dad, who passed 
away in a high-speed pursuit on State Road 231. He was the sheriff, 
Sheriff Jim Baugh of Putnam County, and we came out here years ago to 
honor Mr. Baugh.
  Though nothing can bring back the lives that have been lost or ease 
the collective grief we feel, we take comfort in knowing that we will 
never forget them or the sacrifices they have made.
  We pledge, Mr. Speaker, to keep their legacy alive through our 
efforts to improve policing for every community, for all Americans.
  As a former law enforcement officer, this priority is deeply 
personal. I want to pay special tribute to all the law enforcement 
officers in my district who are working to keep our city safe and build 
greater trust with the neighborhoods they serve.
  I also want to honor the Hoosier officers statewide who have lost 
their lives. One such officer I would like to recognize is Officer 
Breann Leath, an Indianapolis Metro Police Department officer who was 
shot and killed last April while responding to a domestic disturbance.
  She was 24 years old, Mr. Speaker, a veteran of the National Guard, 
the mother of a young son, and part of a family and a proud legacy of 
law enforcement. She had her whole life and a great career ahead of 
her, only to have it tragically cut short.
  Today and every day, Mr. Speaker, we honor her and those like her who 
have been killed in the line of duty.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also be remiss if I did not take this 
opportunity to recognize the countless Americans who we have lost to 
police brutality.
  In Indianapolis alone, and in communities across our country, the 
list grows longer each day. We must honor their memory and commit to 
enacting reforms that save lives in the future.
  Now, let's be clear, Mr. Speaker. We are not advocating for these 
reforms in order to punish police or to make their jobs harder. We also 
want to improve their lives as well. We want to provide police with 
better training and the right resources. We want to help police build 
stronger and healthier relationships with the communities they serve.

[[Page H2251]]

  We also want police to be able to focus on keeping the peace and 
relieve them of their many other duties that they are expected to do 
even when they are not trained or equipped to carry out these 
additional duties.
  As a former law enforcement officer and as a Black man who has been 
the victim of police excess and misconduct, it is clear to me that 
these changes are desperately needed.
  We can improve policing and save lives by passing the George Floyd 
Justice in Policing Act. The House has done its work and passed it 
twice, last year and this year. Now, the Senate must be bold and pass 
it as soon as possible so President Biden can sign it into law.
  Thank you again to all the law enforcement officers who risk their 
lives to keep Americans safe, and a special thanks to those we have 
lost.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos), who comes from a law 
enforcement family.
  Mrs. BUSTOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Demings for putting 
this together. We are grateful to her.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize National Police Week. I stand here 
today with my heart full of gratitude, gratitude for the brave police 
officers who saved our lives, who saved the lives of the staff who were 
here on January 6, who saved our Nation from suffering further harm at 
the hands of those who would see our democracy destroyed.
  It was January 6, and many of us stood on this floor. I was with many 
of the people here today that afternoon when the armed mob broke into 
our Nation's Capitol and threatened us, targeted us, hunted us.
  The moment they reached that door right there, the one just a few 
rows back, and began to shatter the glass on that door, there was just 
a handful of police officers who bravely stood in their way.
  It was in that moment that my thoughts were as a mother, as a 
daughter, as a citizen. Thoughts of legislation and budgets and 
parliamentary rules were not on my mind.

                              {time}  1730

  What I wanted to do that day, and those of us who were on the floor 
that day, we just wanted to live. But it was our Capitol Police 
officers who stood up, stepped up, and fought back that mob. They 
protected all of us that day. They put their lives on the line. One 
even made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us and to keep our democracy 
safe.
  It wasn't until after those terrifying moments, when we reached a 
secure room, that I saw a text from my husband, who is the sheriff of 
Rock Island County, where we live and have lived for 30-plus years. He 
reminded me that the Capitol Police were there to protect us, and to 
listen to them. He could not have been more right.
  Shortly after that day, after we returned to the Chamber where our 
lives had been in jeopardy, I shared my experiences. Here is what I 
wrote: ``I feel sure that the Capitol Police saved countless lives. I 
don't think that America yet fully comprehends just how close we came 
to seeing Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate kidnapped, held 
hostage, or perhaps even murdered. That mob had lethal intent.''
  But it is because of our Capitol Police, because they risked their 
lives, because Brian Sicknick gave his life, that I could walk through 
that door and stand here on this floor today and speak to you. I speak 
with gratitude.
  Earlier this year, I was proud to vote to pass a bill awarding the 
Capitol Police a Congressional Gold Medal. It is my hope that the 
Senate will pass this legislation soon. But, today, I am so proud to be 
able to stand here to recognize National Police Week, a week to say 
thank you and to recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice 
in the line of duty.
  This year, 394 names were added to the National Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial. Thank you to those 394 officers. Thank you to the 
nine Illinois police officers whose lives were part of that list. And 
as the wife of a sheriff, let me say that 394 is too many, and 9 is too 
many.
  Thank you to my husband of--35 years?
  I am sorry; I think that is right, Gerry, if you are watching.
  Thank you to my husband. He has been in law enforcement for 38 years. 
I do know that number. Thank you for his service to our community and 
his career in law enforcement.
  Thank you to the men and women in law enforcement who sacrifice and 
serve and protect others every single day.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, because they are willing to risk their 
lives without hesitation, my colleagues and I honor them today.
  To continue the tribute, it is now my honor to yield to the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes), who is also from a law 
enforcement family.
  Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the officers who gave 
the ultimate sacrifice and have fallen in the line of duty.
  My husband, Detective Milford Hayes, has been on the job for 25 
years. I know all too well the risk officers accept when they take this 
role. I have lived the anxiety of not knowing if my loved one would 
return home from a shift. I have watched my husband put on his dress 
blues and attend the funerals of fallen officers and mourn in the weeks 
and years after that. Over the past year, I have borne witness to the 
difficulty caused by growing mistrust between police departments and 
the communities they serve.
  In addition to honoring officers this week, we must commit to 
rebuilding that trust and to providing them with the necessary funding 
they need to safely and equitably protect themselves and our community.
  This is not a binary choice. Yes, we have systemic racial and social 
injustices that must be addressed. Yes, accountability needs to be 
addressed.
  But on this day, in these remarks, during National Police Week, I ask 
my colleagues to join me in committing to supporting all of the good 
officers that are out there, to ensuring officers have clear national 
guidelines regarding use of force, to providing access to diversity 
training, and to ensuring departments have necessary supports to serve 
communities with underlying social challenges.
  This will protect both police officers and the communities they serve 
from unnecessary violence. This will also attract new officers to the 
profession.
  I ask that we honor fallen officers by committing to action. We must 
provide the necessary guidelines, training, and social services 
required to support our communities and to guarantee the safety of law 
enforcement.
  We must ensure that my husband and every officer makes it home to 
their families safely.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor to yield to the 
gentlewoman from Nevada (Mrs. Lee).
  Mrs. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congresswoman 
Demings for her leadership and for leading this tribute to all of our 
police officers across this country during National Police Week.
  I would like to take this moment to recognize our Nevada officers who 
have fallen. In particular, I want to honor two officers who we lost in 
this past year alone.
  We remember Lieutenant Erik Lloyd, a 30-year veteran of the Las Vegas 
Metropolitan Police Department.
  Every day during this pandemic, our men and women have stepped up to 
serve in the line of duty, no matter the danger. We honor their 
commitment in a time of uncertainty.
  And we mourn the loss of Lieutenant Lloyd, who contracted COVID-19 
while on the job. Lieutenant Lloyd was the definition of selfless. He 
went to work every single day to protect his community. And on top of 
that, he went above and beyond, becoming the president of the Injured 
Police Officers Fund. In that role, Lloyd raised funds for the care of 
countless officers, including Metro Officer Shay Mikalonis, who was 
left paralyzed after being shot this summer during a demonstration on 
the Las Vegas Strip.
  We also take this time to recognize Sergeant Benjamin Michael 
Jenkins, a military veteran, firefighter, and EMT officer with the 
Nevada Highway Patrol. Sergeant Jenkins was dedicated to reducing 
impaired driving and fatal crashes. In 2011, he was honored with the 
Department of Public Safety's highest honor, the Gold Medal of Valor, 
after he came under fire during a domestic-related shooting in Wells, 
Nevada.

[[Page H2252]]

  His life, unfortunately, was cut short when he was shot and killed 
while checking on a driver pulled over on a remote stretch of U.S. 
Highway 93, just north of Ely.
  Their service to Nevada is incomparable.
  To their friends, families, and fellow officers, I extend my deepest 
sympathies and prayers. Nevada stands with you. I express my extreme 
gratitude for the safety and dedication to service that Lieutenant 
Lloyd and Sergeant Jenkins, along with all other officers, have brought 
to our communities.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), a former Federal law 
enforcement officer.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National 
Police Week.
  Each May, our Nation comes together to recognize the service and 
profound commitment of our police officers, to honor those who have 
made the ultimate sacrifice, and to recommit ourselves to the ideals 
and laws of our Nation that these fine men and women in uniform are 
tasked to uphold.
  But the dedication and sacrifices of our brave officers deserves to 
be respected and honored, not just in one week out of the year, but 
every single day, both in this Chamber and across our country.
  Time and time again, officers across our Nation are met with the 
greatest threats of danger, and they face them with the greatest 
displays of courage, honor, and dignity.
  Mr. Speaker, my great-uncle, Philip Fitzpatrick, was a proud 
patrolman with the NYPD. He was also a poet, often writing about the 
world he knew as--what he referred to--a soldier of peace.
  As I have taken time to reflect during this police week, I found 
myself thinking of him and a line from one of his poems: ``When he 
kisses his wife and children good-bye, there's a chance he will see 
them no more.''
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, these words were true for my family and 
for so many families in our Nation.
  This month marks 74 years since my great-uncle Phil was shot while 
attempting to disarm a robber at a Manhattan bar, a fatal injury he 
succumbed to days later.
  While the times have changed, the dangers faced by our law 
enforcement community remain present every time they go to work.
  Bucks County and my community is home to some of the finest law 
enforcement officers in our great Nation. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, we have 
lost too many.
  I would like to take a moment to honor our valiant fallen officers: 
Police Officer James K. Armstrong; Deputy Sheriff Thomas A. Bateman; 
Ranger Thomas Booz; Ranger Stanley E. Flynn; Police Officer Brian S. 
Gregg; Police Officer Joseph E. Hanusey, III; Detective Christopher C. 
Jones; Constable Henry A. Kolbe; Sheriff Abraham Kulp; Police Chief Eli 
M. Myers; Police Sergeant George M. Stuckey; Deputy Sheriff George M. 
Warta, Jr.; and Police Officer Robert Yezzi.
  Mr. Speaker, these 13 individuals laid their lives on the line to 
protect our community, the community that I grew up in, the community 
that I love, and they paid the ultimate price. We will never forget 
them and their extraordinary service to our community. We owe them and 
their families and all of the honorable police officers and public 
servants who have given their lives in the line of duty a debt of 
gratitude and appreciation, one that can only be paid back through our 
love and support for them here on this floor and across our Nation.
  Our Nation, indeed, our world, is in the midst of unprecedented 
times. Now, more than ever, our courageous and honorable law 
enforcement officers need our support. I encourage everyone to take a 
minute this week to thank a police officer and reflect on the 
sacrifices so many of them have made.
  To our hero law enforcement officers in every town, in every city, 
and in every State across America: We thank you, we are grateful for 
you, and we love you.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin).
  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative 
Demings, for holding this Special Order hour in honor of fallen law 
enforcement officers.
  It is National Police Week, a time to recognize and honor the men and 
women who have answered the call to protect and serve our community. 
Their service puts them in harm's way every single day, and we owe them 
a debt of gratitude for their willingness to sacrifice for us.
  Last November, it was my privilege to speak in this Chamber in honor 
of Caleb Starr, a Michigan State Police Trooper from my district, who 
was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call. I spoke 
about the community of Mason, Michigan, where he was born and raised, 
coming together to support the Starr family.

  Tonight, I am proud to recognize an organization in my district that 
has continuously provided support to the loved ones of our fallen 
officers.
  The 100 Club of Greater Lansing was founded in 1984, after the death 
of Officer James Johnson of the East Lansing Police Department. Every 
year, Members of the 100 Club contribute dues of $100 to provide 
immediate assistance, as well as long-term support, to surviving 
families of those who have died in the line of duty.
  In the nearly 40 years the 100 Club has been doing its work, it has 
helped the family of Officer Johnson, as well as the families of 
Officer Dean Whitehead of the Lansing Police Department; Officer Julie 
Engelhardt of the Lansing Parks Police Department; Sergeant Paul Cole 
of the Ingham County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Grant Whitaker of the 
Ingham County Sheriff's Office; and so many others.
  In addition, the 100 Club keeps the spirit of those heroes alive by 
establishing a scholarship fund for qualified survivors, providing an 
annual honor award to officers, and funding an annual scholarship for a 
student enrolled at the Mid-Michigan Police Academy at Lansing 
Community College, where I visited just a couple of months ago.
  During National Police Week, we honor fallen heroes who have given 
their lives while on duty. To them we owe so much. As long as we keep 
their memory alive, they remain with us. With these words, they will 
remain in the permanent Record of the people's House so that their 
contributions can live on.
  I am grateful for their selfless courage and for my colleagues 
tonight who have served. Thank you for taking the time to honor, 
respect, and remember them.

                              {time}  1745

  Mrs. DEMINGS. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Swalwell), also from a law enforcement family.
  Mr. SWALWELL. Thank you, Chief Demings. Law enforcement families know 
the prayer from Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9, ``Blessed are the 
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.''
  And blessed are the California police officers who lost their lives 
in 2020: Oscar Walter Rocha from my district in Alameda County, Daniel 
Lopez Mendoza, III; Andy Ornelas, Efren Coronel, Jose Cruz Mora, Jr., 
Angel De La Fuente, Larry D. Crom, Donald Keith Sumner, Virgil Lynn 
Thomas, Harry M. Cohen, Terrell Don Young, Daniel Gene Walters, Damon 
Christopher Gutzwiller, and MaryLou Hernandez Armer, as well as Pat 
Underwood of the Federal Protective Services.
  As a member of a law enforcement family, when we say good-bye to each 
other on the phone, we always say, ``I love you,'' but we also say, 
``Be safe,'' because we know what our law enforcement officers 
encounter when they go into a domestic violence call or make a police 
stop in an area where there have been robberies, gang violence, drugs.
  In Oakland, California, four officers were killed in a matter of 
minutes after a police stop, when I was a prosecutor for the Alameda 
County District Attorney's office. We know the risk they face.
  I have a family member who has been shot at and was told that from 
such a point blank nature he is lucky to be alive.
  We are grateful for the sacrifices of law enforcement. We also 
recognize that the best way to protect the best cops is to make sure 
that we put in place reforms to take care of those who

[[Page H2253]]

do not meet the standards that we expect from law enforcement.
  We are committed in this Chamber to work to pass the George Floyd 
Justice in Policing Act to make sure that we protect our cops on the 
streets and we protect those in the community who they also promise and 
swear an oath to protect.
  This police week, let me also just urge my colleagues across the 
aisle, who I know are sincere when they want to stand up for police 
officers, to recognize that the police officers who walk the beat in 
these halls are hurting, and they are grieving, and what happened on 
January 6 has not just passed, and when they hear colleagues in this 
Chamber say, as one said today that January 6 looked like any other 
normal tourist visit to the Capitol, that really hurts them. That hurts 
their families. It is an insult to their service, and we must do 
better, because backing the blue doesn't just mean backing the blue who 
back you, it means backing the blue who protect this Chamber and 
protect our democracy.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Ms. Wexton).
  Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Police Week to 
honor the life U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howie Liebengood. Howie 
served as a Capitol police officer for 15 years and before that as a 
Senate page. He continued a 50-year family legacy of service to the 
Senate, following in the footsteps of his father, a former Senate 
Sergeant at Arms.
  Howie died by suicide on January 9, after working around the clock in 
the days following the January 6 insurrection, defending our Capitol 
and the Members, staff, workers, journalists, and others inside of it. 
There is no doubt that Howie would still be with us today but for the 
events on and immediately following January 6.
  And yet, the leaders Howie served under at the Capitol Police still 
refuse to acknowledge his tragic loss as a line-of-duty death, despite 
his heroic sacrifice on that day and in the days that followed. Howie's 
widow, Serena, and his family deserve better.
  Our Capitol Police deserve better, too. The PTSD and trauma of 
January 6 and April 2 are still prevalent for U.S. Capitol police 
officers. The reluctance many officers feel asking for help is real as 
well. Leadership is failing these officers when they refuse to validate 
the pain of that trauma and the tragic consequences it can lead to.
  That is why we must provide U.S. Capitol police officers with the 
resources they need to take care of themselves and to fight the stigma 
not only for them, but for law enforcement officers around the country 
to know that it is okay to ask for help.
  According to a report from the nonprofit Blue H.E.L.P., the number of 
officers who died by suicide in recent years has outpaced those killed 
in the line of duty.
  It is incumbent on us as lawmakers to end the stigma around law 
enforcement mental health and to give these officers the support they 
need in times of crisis. We must thank them not just with our words, 
but with our actions.
  I have been working with my colleagues and with the Liebengood family 
to honor Howie's legacy of service to our Capitol community. To Serena, 
his family, and all those who knew and loved Howie, I hope it brings 
you some solace to know that Howie's life and sacrifice will never be 
forgotten by those of us here who he gave his life to protect.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Thank you so much for that tribute. I now yield to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), the chair of the Law 
Enforcement Caucus. We are so grateful for the work that he is doing.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, it is not unusual for Congresswoman 
Demings to lead and bring us together. I want to congratulate and thank 
her for her service in the past and now.
  Mr. Speaker, during this devastating pandemic, our Nation's law 
enforcement officers have stood heroically on the front lines, keeping 
communities across America safe. Our police have risked their lives and 
the lives of their families every day they go to work. Many have made 
the ultimate sacrifice.
  Since the start of the pandemic, we have lost over 464 officers, 
including 298 to COVID-19. In New Jersey, 15 officers have perished, 
including 13 to the virus.
  In my own district, we lost Paterson police officer, Frank Scorpo, 
who was only 34 years old and left behind a wife and two young sons.
  We lost Detective Anthony Lucanto, a 24-year veteran of the Paterson 
Police Department, who died of cancer tied to his heroic efforts at 
Ground Zero. Anthony leaves behind his wife and three children.
  Our hearts bleed for all of our fallen officers and their families.
  As the co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I was 
proud to champion legislation signed into law to ensure those families 
of officers fallen to COVID-19 are guaranteed public safety officer 
benefits. But more must be done to support families of officers who 
make the ultimate sacrifice.
  Earlier this month, we introduced the bipartisan Protecting America's 
First Responders Act. Our bill will guarantee first responders and 
their families get their owed benefits without delay or red tape. I 
hope it gets passed.
  I wish I could say support of law enforcement is fully bipartisan, 
but I can't. Incredibly, when we passed the latest Capitol Police 
budget, 50 of our colleagues on the other side voted ``no.'' Thank God 
for those who did vote ``yes.''
  When we voted to certify the Presidential election, hours after 
terrorists attacked the Capitol, 138 Members on the other side voted to 
throw out the election. 138. These votes are a slur on the Capitol 
Police and the officers across America who have given their lives.
  This last year has been a difficult one for all communities, but 
unbearable for our men and women in uniform. They have protected us at 
our lowest moment. The least we can do is protect the benefits they 
have earned and stand by them.
  Let us move what was started almost 20 years ago, community policing, 
so we protect our police and we encourage trust in them day in and day 
out. God bless our country.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Thank you again to the chair of the Law Enforcement 
Caucus.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez).
  Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
our brave and selfless law enforcement officers who have fallen in the 
line of duty in south Texas this past year: Jorge Cabrera, Ismael 
Chavez, Edelmiro Garza, Jr. Let us not forget those who stood guard at 
our border and kept us safe: Carlos Mendoza, Juan Ollervidez, 
Christopher Carney, Roel De La Fuente, and Enrique Rositas.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to take a brief moment of silence to pay 
my respects to those law enforcement officers who paid the ultimate 
sacrifice to keep our community safe.
  My community and I owe a deep amount of gratitude to these officers 
who sought to keep us safe. I thank them, and may God bless and watch 
over our law enforcement officers, their families, and the United 
States of America.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. I thank the gentleman from Texas for that tribute to 
our law enforcement officers. I now yield to the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Phillips).
  Mr. PHILLIPS. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding and 
for organizing this important Special Order hour.
  As a Gold Star son who lost his father in the Vietnam War, I 
empathize with and salute the honorable men and women who don a uniform 
and risk their lives and too often lose their lives protecting our 
country and our communities, oftentimes without the appreciation or 
support that they need and that they deserve.
  So I rise today to express gratitude to the over 11,000 police 
officers who serve and protect the residents of my home State of 
Minnesota, an overwhelming majority of whom are compassionate and 
principled public servants.
  I am proud of the law enforcement agencies that serve Hennepin and 
Carver counties in Minnesota's Third District, innovative and well-led 
police departments committed to building cultures and communities in 
which everyone, and I repeat everyone, feels safe.

[[Page H2254]]

  People like Dawanna Witt, whose remarkable life story of perseverance 
embodies the very best of our law enforcement community. Ms. Witt grew 
up surrounded by alcoholism and drug addiction, was subject to sexual 
abuse, had her first baby at age 15, and lived with her newborn in a 
homeless shelter.
  But she finished high school with honors, then received her 
bachelor's degree and then her master's. And today she is known as 
Major Witt, a grandmother of two, supervisor of 500 employees at the 
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and a rising star in Minnesota law 
enforcement.
  Major Witt will be the first to tell you that we do need police 
reform, that systemic racism does exist, and that racial profiling is a 
real thing. She will also tell you that we need to do more to protect 
officers' safety.
  So, today I invite my colleagues and our entire country to join me in 
celebrating Major Witt and the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement 
professionals just like her who have committed their entire 
professional lives to helping America become a more safe, equitable, 
just, and perfect union.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. We thank the gentleman from Minnesota for that tribute. 
I now yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. RYAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, this week, May 9 to May 15, is National Police Week. I 
stand today to join with my colleagues in carrying forth a tradition 
that started 59 years ago.
  In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed, and Congress ratified, May 15 
as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that 
date falls is National Police Week.
  During this time, we pause to recognize those law enforcement 
officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety 
and protection of others.
  Those of us here in Congress know well the bravery and dedication of 
law enforcement officers, for we saw it firsthand on January 6 when 
they protected this citadel of democracy and the public servants who 
were discharging their duty.
  Some of those brave souls paid with their lives, such as Officer 
Brian Sicknick. We also lost Officer Howard Liebengood and Officer 
Jeffrey Smith, who died by suicide in the immediate aftermath of that 
tragic day. Many more police officers who were on duty that day are 
still hurting.
  Of course, all across our Nation, and in Ohio particularly, our 
police officers and their families have sacrificed themselves for their 
communities. I have done ride-alongs with these officers and watched 
them deal with the overdose issues and the opiate epidemic in Ohio.
  We watch them risk their lives. We pray for their families who worry 
every time they put on their boots and go to work.
  In short, Mr. Speaker, they show up. The National Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial Fund compiles the names of those officers who have 
lost their lives in the line of duty in this past year and all those 
who have died in previous years but whose stories of sacrifice have 
been lost to history until now. This year, nearly 400 new names were 
added to this list. I stand today to honor all those lives that were 
lost, including the following five officers from Ohio.
  We honor James Michael Skernivitz from Cleveland, Adam McMillan from 
Hamilton County, Kaia Lafay Grant from Springdale, Anthony Hussein Dia 
from Toledo, and, finally, Rex Faux from Summit County, who died in 
1933 but whose name had not previously been added to this list of 
fallen officers.
  We also honor all the men and women in law enforcement who show up 
for all of us every day.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his tribute. I 
yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney).
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. No 
one can be a better spokeswoman for this issue than Mrs. Demings, who 
proudly represents her district in Florida and served as the police 
leader in her hometown.
  Mr. Speaker, as we remember the police officers who have fallen in 
the line of duty, it is with great sadness that I must add another name 
to that list.
  Officer Jimmy Inn of the Stockton Police Department was killed 
yesterday while responding to a domestic violence call.
  Just 30 years old, Officer Inn joined the force in 2015 and was a 
member of the Honor Guard. He was a husband and a father who leaves 
behind a 7-month-old son, a stepson, a stepdaughter, and a wife, who 
also serves as a Stockton police officer.
  Officer Inn is remembered as a kindhearted, selfless, and positive 
person. His commanding officer, Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones, said 
that he was the epitome of what a police officer should be.
  Officer Inn's last act was to help a woman and child in grave danger. 
Officer Inn sacrificed his life in service to others, and I ask 
everyone to join me in honoring his life, his service, and his memory.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, 
and we join him in grieving the death of the officer just yesterday.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier).
  Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Demings for 
yielding.
  Today, I am honored to pay tribute to law enforcement officers and 
their families. Every day, law enforcement officers put their lives at 
risk in order to keep us and our communities safe. Most of the time, 
they return safely home to their families. But that is not always the 
case, and we should never lose sight of that.
  In that spirit, I want to express profound gratitude to Deputy Ryan 
Thompson from Kittitas County, Washington, who tragically lost his life 
in the line of duty in 2019.
  Ryan has since been recognized for this sacrifice on the National Law 
Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, D.C. Thank you to the 
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for honoring and 
remembering Deputy Thompson's service.
  I also express my appreciation for the families of law enforcement 
officers who live with an undercurrent of worry every day while their 
loved one is on duty.
  And a very special thank-you to our very own Capitol Police, who 
stood up to a violent mob in order to protect us from danger. Several 
Capitol Police officers have lost their lives. Please know that we 
mourn with their families.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Auchincloss). The gentlewoman has 5 
minutes and 45 seconds remaining.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Gottheimer).
  Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Demings for 
hosting this Special Order hour in honor of our brave law enforcement 
officers. I am proud to serve with her as a member of the Congressional 
Law Enforcement Caucus co-chaired by our dear friend and colleague Bill 
Pascrell.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here today to commemorate Police Week and to 
honor all the brave law enforcement officers in New Jersey and across 
the country who put their lives on the line every single day to protect 
our communities.

  We especially honor the more than 124 police officers who have died 
in the line of duty across the United States this year, including 64 
who we lost to COVID-19. We will never forget their bravery, sacrifice, 
and service.
  Mr. Speaker, police officers are our heroes, and I am deeply grateful 
to all law enforcement--Federal, State, and local--for what they do day 
in and day out. They never fail to get our backs, and we have a 
responsibility to get theirs.
  That is why, in Congress, I am committed to fighting for all of our 
sworn officers and first responders by making sure they have the 
resources, equipment, and training they need to do their jobs safely 
and effectively.
  Our police departments have been tested and challenged during the 
pandemic over the year, but they have risen to the occasion, continuing 
to help our State and our people recover. I was very proud to lead the 
New Jersey delegation in requesting critical

[[Page H2255]]

support for PPE and staffing at the very start of the pandemic, and I 
fought hard for and ensured a presumption for Public Safety Officers' 
Benefits for those on the front lines of COVID.
  I thank all of my colleagues for working across the aisle for those 
who have served and having the backs of our first responders every day. 
Most of all, I thank every law enforcement officer for their solemn 
commitment to protect and to serve. God bless.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his tribute.
  Mr. Speaker, as someone who served 27 years in law enforcement, who 
had the honor of serving as the chief of police, one thing I know for 
sure is that the police are the community, and the community is the 
police. The police and the community are one. We are one.
  I do believe that when we come together, we can do anything, that we 
can have some of the safest communities that America has to offer, that 
we can truly be, in America, what we were created to be.
  We honor the men and women who put on the badge and the uniform every 
day, Mr. Speaker, and go to work not knowing whether they will ever 
make it back to their homes, to their families, to their loved ones.
  I am honored to stand once again--I have done it for a lot of years 
now--to honor National Police Week and recognize the men and women who 
have paid it all. Many have given much, but the men and women in law 
enforcement who have laid down their lives to keep us safe have given 
their all.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
National Police Week, and the brave, dedicated, and selfless heroes who 
work tireless long hours to keep the public safe in communities across 
this country.
  This is deeply personal to me, as someone whose own loved ones wear a 
badge, and as someone who worked for nearly 18 years as a 9-1-1 
dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department.
  So I want to take this moment to say thank you, not just to the men 
and women in uniform on our streets, but also to their counterparts in 
service who answer the call whenever someone dials 911.
  Dispatchers have a unique vantage on police work--they know how 
harrowing the situations police officers face are; how important police 
work is to people in their most vulnerable moments; and how committed 
officers are to serving the public.
  After all, dispatchers are the ones who answer those calls for help 
in the first place.
  But dispatchers also play a key role in keeping our officers safe. 
They gather situational awareness, so our officers know what to expect 
when they approach a scene; they send backup when more support is 
needed; and they send medical help if the unthinkable happens and an 
officer is hurt.
  So as we honor those who serve, let's also honor the people who keep 
them safe every step of the way.
  Public safety workers of all types are under new stresses right now 
as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uptick in gun violence 
that is tragically endemic to the United States.
  So as we honor this valiant profession and acknowledge the harrowing 
circumstances they face, we must also take time to make sure they have 
the support they need, from PPE to mental health reources and 
everything in between.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize National Police Week 
and the men and women who keep us safe at great personal sacrifice, and 
at great sacrifice to their own families.

                          ____________________