[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 8, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H1017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   U.S. PARK POLICE MODERNIZATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Hice) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor our brave 
law enforcement officers at the United States Park Police. From every 
major protest to every parade that occurs on the National Mall, our 
Park Police officers answer the call to keep our constituents safe when 
they are visiting here in the Nation's capital.
  However, due to an increase in the number of demonstrations and the 
fact that they are extremely understaffed, one of our Nation's oldest 
uniformed Federal law enforcement agencies is now stretched extremely 
thin.
  As of March 1, 2021, there were fewer than 500 Park Police officers. 
That is significantly lower than the minimum requirement they have of 
639 officers. This is alarming, and obviously, among other concerns, 
this leaves the Nation's most historic landmarks extremely vulnerable. 
And that is why today, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3924, the 
U.S. Park Police Modernization Act.
  And what is the problem? Why are they facing the issues that they are 
facing? Well, the bottom line, for whatever reason, is because the pay 
and benefits are much lower for the Park Police than for other Federal 
law enforcement agencies. And the big question is why is that the case? 
That is an outstanding question. Why?
  There is no real good reason. And it is for that reason that we, here 
in Congress, need to immediately improve the Park Police's pay and 
benefits and to put that agency on equal footing with other similar 
departments. To do so would incentivize officers to both join the Park 
Police, but even more importantly, to stay. Both of those issues are 
huge concerns right now. That is how we will ensure that Washington, 
D.C., the place where each of us work, the place where our staff works, 
and obviously, where many of our constituents come to visit, remain 
safe for years to come.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3924. Let's put 
our U.S. Park Police on equal footing with other law enforcement 
agencies in this area so that they can do the job that we all depend 
upon them to do.

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