[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 14, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3048-H3050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND CONDEMNING
EFFORTS TO DEFUND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 106) expressing support for
local law enforcement officers and condemning efforts to defund local
law enforcement agencies.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 106
Whereas the brave men and women in local law enforcement
work tirelessly to protect the communities they serve;
Whereas local law enforcement officers are tasked with
upholding the rule of law and ensuring public safety;
Whereas local law enforcement officers selflessly put
themselves in harm's way to fight crime, get drugs off the
streets, and protect the innocent;
Whereas defunding police narratives vilify and demonize
local law enforcement officers and put them at greater risk
of danger;
Whereas local law enforcement officers take an oath to
never betray the public trust;
Whereas the local law enforcement community protects our
streets, acknowledges the rights of all Americans, and keeps
citizens safe from harm;
Whereas local law enforcement officers are recognized for
their public service to all, knowing they face extremely
dangerous situations while carrying out their duties;
Whereas a healthy and collaborative relationship between
local law enforcement officers and the communities they serve
is essential to creating mutually respectful dialogue; and
Whereas local law enforcement officers deserve respect and
profound gratitude: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) recognizes and appreciates the dedication and devotion
demonstrated by the men and women of local law enforcement
who keep the Nation's communities safe;
(2) extends its gratitude to all local law enforcement
officers and their families for their sacrifice and service;
and
(3) condemns calls to defund, disband, dismantle, or
abolish the police.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Jordan) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extent their remarks and
include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 106.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he might consume to
the gentleman from the great State of Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), who is a
sponsor of the legislation).
Mr. EZELL. Madam Speaker, my resolution expresses our support for the
men and women who serve our communities in local law enforcement. These
brave officers work tirelessly to protect and serve, putting their
lives on the line regularly to uphold the rule of law.
As a former sheriff and a 42-year career law enforcement officer, I
have seen what these men and women go through. I know the toll taken by
the long hours, the sleepless nights, and the time spent away from
family. I know what it is like to console the grieving families of
victims after horrendous crimes and tragic accidents. I have seen
things most Americans will, thankfully, never have to experience.
When others run away, our law enforcement officers are trained to run
toward danger, to fight crime, and to protect the innocent. Far too
often they don't make it back. Mississippi has not been spared from
these tragedies.
In December of 2022, Bay St. Louis Police Sergeant Steven Robin and
Officer Branden Estorffe were shot and killed while conducting a
welfare check on a woman and a child sitting in a parked vehicle. Last
June, Madison Police Officer Randy Tyler was shot and killed while
responding to a hostage situation.
Moreover, this January, George County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Malone
was shot and killed during a traffic stop on a rural highway.
These men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice represent the
best of our State and our Nation. Fallen heroes like these officers are
being honored this week during National Police Week.
Madam Speaker, there is no better time for us to pass this resolution
and make it clear we stand with law enforcement than this week, while
thousands of local law enforcement officers and their families are
gathering here in our Nation's Capital.
My resolution does just that. It expresses our gratitude for the
selfless service of local law enforcement and the importance of a
healthy relationship between law enforcement and the communities they
protect.
It also condemns attempts to undermine that relationship through
rhetoric about defunding and abolishing the police. These narratives
demonize local law enforcement officers and encourage hostility toward
law enforcement. Ultimately, they put both officers and the general
public at greater risk.
We have seen targeted, ambush-style attacks on law enforcement
officers, including one as recently as this Sunday. Agencies across the
country are struggling to hire and keep talented officers as they are
vilified for deciding to serve their communities.
At the same time, we have seen disturbing increases in crime,
especially in cities like Washington, D.C., and Americans' fear of
crime is at its highest level in 30 years.
[[Page H3049]]
Madam Speaker, it is time for this body to lead. It is time for us to
make it abundantly clear that we stand with our law enforcement against
lawlessness. It is time for a strong, bipartisan majority to say, once
again, that we will not defund, disband, dismantle, or abolish the
police.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this
resolution.
Mr. IVEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As a former prosecutor who handled cases in both Federal and State
courts, I worked closely with many law enforcement officers on a day-
to-day basis over many years, developing strong relationships with
officers who put their lives on the line on a daily basis.
In fact, my record and relationships with officers are part of the
reasons I have been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police every
time I have run for office. That is why, in part, I regret having to
rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 106.
Traditionally, National Police Week has been recognized as a solemn,
unifying occasion. It is a time when Members can come together in a
bipartisan fashion to recognize and honor the men and women of law
enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to protect our
communities. However, instead of respecting the dignity of this week,
some of my colleagues have decided to move forward with, frankly,
political rhetoric in this resolution to satisfy partisan purposes.
This resolution amounts to a slap in the face of many Federal law
enforcement officers who serve and protect us, as well. Among this
resolution's flaws is it completely ignores Federal law enforcement
officers who fight crime working infrequently with the local law
enforcement officers whom we are discussing here today.
Many of them enforce our laws against human trafficking and drug
trafficking, including the rapid rise of fentanyl, the massive flow of
firearms, including ghost guns, that illegally enter our country and
communities and endanger all of us.
To offer a resolution that fails to honor Federal law enforcement
officers as well is just plain wrong.
I made this objection in the committee when we were having a hearing
on a related bill a few weeks ago, so this shouldn't come as a surprise
to my colleagues. However, in recent years, Republicans have
consistently blamed the rise in violent crime on Democrats and
attempted to pin the ``defend the police'' rhetoric on Democrats
labeling Democrats as the party to defund the police.
{time} 1630
Yet, a Republican colleague of ours introduced H.R. 374, the Abolish
the ATF Act, a one-line bill that would do away with the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He also threatened to
``defund,'' ``get rid of,'' or ``abolish'' other Federal agencies,
including the FBI, CDC, and DOJ, ``if they do not come to heel.''
Another one of my Republican colleagues called for defunding the FBI,
as well, and we have multiple Republican colleagues who have made
similar kinds of calls to defund Federal law enforcement, even though I
think all of us recognize how critical they are to protecting the
United States and handling matters in conjunction with local law
enforcement authorities or, in some instances, where local law
enforcement authorities don't have the jurisdiction or the authority to
handle a matter.
H. Con. Res. 106 endeavors to continue those efforts, unfortunately,
repeating the verbatim attacks, as we heard just a moment ago, on
Federal law enforcement and the Democrats, sentiments that were
asserted in a different context in H. Con. Res. 40 last year, when the
Democrats offered legislation for National Police Week.
This resolution claims that the defund the police movement vilifies
and demonizes local law enforcement, putting them at greater risk of
danger, while ignoring the Republicans' own efforts to defund law
enforcement, whether by opposing grant funding that sometimes supports
State and local agencies or by calling to abolish Federal agencies, as
I just mentioned a moment ago.
We should be reminded that, through the American Rescue Plan,
Democrats have provided the largest Federal investment in public safety
in the Nation's history. $350 billion has allowed cities across the
country to keep law enforcement officers on the beat and communities
safer from violence. Police departments have used this funding to
establish training facilities, hire more officers, and raise salaries.
Rather than playing at partisanship, like we are today, in the 117th
Congress, House Democrats passed priority policing bills that extended
death benefits to law enforcement officers with PTSD, provided funding
to law enforcement and other first responders to improve interactions
with civilians, authorized $300 million in grants for law enforcement
agencies with fewer than 125 officers, made significant investments in
deescalation training, and provided $100 million per year in grants to
solve cold-case violent crimes, all over Republican objections.
More disappointingly, this resolution before us today continues the
Republican record of devaluing the lives and contributions of the
137,000 Federal agents and officers serving in the 50 States and the
District of Columbia, including the Capitol Police, who we all should
recall protect us here on a daily basis.
Although H. Con. Res. 106 does not demonize specific Democratic
Members or so-called leftist activists who support efforts to defund or
reallocate funding for local law enforcement agencies, as H. Con. Res.
40 did last year, this resolution is similarly a missed opportunity to
truly support law enforcement officers across the country and is
designed, once again, to falsely paint Democrats as opponents of law
enforcement.
Madam Speaker, it is for these reasons that I oppose H. Con. Res.
106, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Let's restore the dignity
of Police Week by advancing truly bipartisan acclamations and support
for law enforcement efforts.
Madam Speaker, in 2002, President George W. Bush proclaimed that
Police Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to the local,
State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us
with courage and dedication. Since its inception, National Police Week
has been meant to bring Members of Congress together, no matter their
political affiliation, to acknowledge the contributions of all law
enforcement professionals and honor those who have made the ultimate
sacrifice while in the line of duty.
Whether State, local, Tribal, or Federal, we are grateful for the
service of all officers, agents, and support staff who work tirelessly
to protect us and keep us safe. We should be able to make that clear
today.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Madam Speaker, a little over a year ago, Governor Sarah Huckabee
Sanders gave the response to President Biden's State of the Union
Address. I thought she did a wonderful job, but the line that stuck out
to me was, in the course of her remarks, she said that the divide in
America today is normal versus crazy.
My colleagues can start thinking about some of the crazy policies
that are advocated by the radical left. I mean, it is crazy not to have
a border. It is crazy to think noncitizens should be able to vote in
our Federal elections. It is crazy to think boys should compete against
girls in sports.
How about this one: It is crazy, in my mind, to let a Chinese spy
balloon fly clear across the country and then shoot it down. I don't
know, but I think most people I represent would probably have shot it
down before it went across the country.
Additionally, it is crazy to defund the police. Americans understand
that instinctively, yet that is something that the left has advocated
now for--what?--5 years. We should thank the numerous law enforcement
officers who have come to Washington, D.C., for Police Week and all
those across our great country. Every day, police officers put their
lives on the line to safeguard our families and communities.
The left's defund the police movement continues to cause detrimental
effects across our Nation, with attacks against police officers
increasing and
[[Page H3050]]
becoming more brazen. We have all seen it. We saw it on the streets of
New York City. We have all seen it happen, the harmful rhetoric that
has demoralized our police officers and directly impacted their ability
to maintain public safety.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are facing challenges in
recruiting and retaining qualified law enforcement officers. It is why
I supported the bill that we just passed. The gentleman from Maryland
(Mr. Ivey) was right on that one.
This resolution is exactly what is needed. Congress must declare that
we oppose the defund the police rhetoric. H. Con. Res. 106 seeks to
correct these false and harmful narratives by explicitly condemning
efforts to undermine law enforcement agencies.
This resolution acknowledges and expresses the gratitude of Congress
for the dedication and commitment shown by the men and women of law
enforcement. Law enforcement officers and their families serve and make
sacrifices every single day for the good of our communities.
This resolution is rooted in commonsense, normal policy. I believe we
can all agree that the defund the police movement was a disgrace, and
our police officers deserve better.
Let's all work together, taking a stand against cutting our police
department funding and calling for not abolishing the police but
actually funding our law enforcement officers, again, in our
municipalities, in our counties, and all over our country.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 106.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________