[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 14, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3191-H3195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING FALLEN HEROES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kiley). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 9, 2023, the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, beginning on Sunday evening, the United 
States of America welcomed thousands upon thousands of men and women 
who wear the uniform and protect and serve their communities throughout 
this country.
  Mr. Speaker, Police Week 2024 welcomes law enforcement professionals 
from every corner of this great Nation. Some are here to share 
important information. Some are here for training. Some are here for 
camaraderie. We have members of the Nassau County Emerald Society here 
celebrating their 50th anniversary.
  The main reason we are here, Mr. Speaker, the key to why thousands 
upon thousands travel to Capitol Hill for National Police Week, is to 
recognize, remember, and honor the men and women of law enforcement who 
have laid down their lives for the sake of others.
  Just last week, we gathered here on the House floor to pay honor to 
Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff's 
Lieutenant Michael Hoosock. We also paid tribute to law enforcement 
officers in North Carolina, who, on Monday, April 29, 2024, experienced 
the deadliest attack on law enforcement since 2016 when Joshua Eyer, 
Thomas Weeks, Jr., Alden Elliott, and Sam Poloche were killed in the 
line of duty.
  Mr. Speaker, just minutes ago, the FBI released their 2023 law 
enforcement officers killed or assaulted report. There were 60 who were 
killed or assaulted in the line of duty across this country.

                              {time}  1930

  Mr. Speaker, we are here on Capitol Hill for Police Week to honor the 
more than 26,000 law enforcement officers that have died or been killed 
in the line of duty since 1786.
  Mr. Speaker, 136 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 
2023, and their names are forever etched on the wall at the National 
Law Enforcement Officers Memorial just blocks from here.
  Mr. Speaker, I was proud before coming to Congress to serve in what 
some would argue was the greatest police department in the world, the 
New York City Police Department, and I had the honor to serve with some 
of the best of the best, the greatest detectives as an NYPD detective.
  Mr. Speaker, last year, 5,363 of my brothers and sisters from the 
NYPD were injured on the job. The NYPD PBA president Patrick Hendry has 
been quoted as calling assaults on the NYPD a ``full-blown epidemic.'' 
The 5,363 of my brothers and sisters that were assaulted or attacked in 
2023 was 13 percent higher than the previous year.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many reasons as to why we could argue that 
that number continues to rise, but I think all one would have to do is 
turn on the news or scroll through social media or perhaps listen to 
news radio.
  Radical protests, an influx of criminal migrants at the hands of the 
Biden border crisis, cashless bail, and criminal justice reform--which 
has been a completely failed policy of Democrats in the New York State 
legislature starting with our Governor and working its way down through 
the senate and the assembly--has failed New Yorkers, and it has failed 
in places just like here in Washington, D.C.
  What do these places have in common where we see criminals having 
more rights than law-abiding citizens? What is the common denominator 
in communities and cities and counties throughout this country that 
have emboldened criminals, that have literally taken the handcuffs off 
the gun belts of law enforcement officers?
  Those handcuffs are now being utilized against police, not allowing 
them to do their job, not allowing them to go out there and live out 
the oath to protect and serve.
  Mr. Speaker, what do those places have in common?
  They are governed by Democrats, radical Democrats who continue each 
and every day to put criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens.
  You see, we have seen the increase in police assaults. We have seen 
the increase in police officers being killed. Why?
  Because of radical protests, an influx of criminal migrants, bail 
reform, cashless bail, criminal justice reform, anticop rhetoric, and 
soft-on-crime, rogue district attorneys like Alvin Bragg in Manhattan.
  Mr. Speaker, 1,287 of my brothers and sisters throughout this country 
died from suicide between 2016 and 2022. Mr. Speaker, that number is 
startling. There are many reasons as to why we see law enforcement 
officers struggle, and it is one of the reasons as to why I am working 
with my colleagues to erase that stigma and to make law enforcement 
officers realize that there is help available and that their mental 
health is so critically important.
  We cannot put our heads in the sand. We cannot ignore the fact that 
law enforcement officers are seeing even more stress because of the 
failed policies of so many so-called leaders throughout this country.
  Law enforcement work is challenging and dangerous. Very often we hear 
a police officer responded to a routine 911 call. Mr. Speaker, and to 
those listening at home, no 911 call is routine. No car stop is 
routine.
  Mr. Speaker, just months ago, Police Officer Jonathan Diller of the 
NYPD

[[Page H3192]]

was out doing what he does best, taking illegal firearms off the 
street. He and his team stopped a car, which for most would probably 
seem like a routine car stop. Someone was sitting at a bus stop. Police 
Officer Diller exited, approached the car, and was met with bullets 
from an illegal firearm carried by an individual who was arrested 21 
times prior.
  Mr. Speaker, the individual who murdered Police Officer Jonathan 
Diller was arrested over 20 times and let back out on the street to 
commit more crimes. That individual should have rotted in a cell. I 
pray that prosecutors give him that destiny because Jonathan Diller 
went to work that morning, put on his bulletproof vest, and went out to 
the streets of the city of New York to reduce crime, to make life safer 
for everyday New Yorkers, and he was murdered by a career criminal who 
should have been behind bars.
  In a split second, a family was destroyed. Jonathan Diller's son will 
wake up every single day for the rest of his life without his father. 
Jonathan's widow, Stephanie, will wake up every single day without her 
husband.
  Mr. Speaker, we are gathered here in Washington, D.C., for Police 
Week to remember people, heroes, just like Jonathan Diller. At 
Jonathan's funeral when he was posthumously promoted to detective first 
grade, his wife spoke from the altar and said that 2 years earlier she 
listened in on the funeral of two other NYPD officers who were murdered 
and thought to herself something needs to change, the laws in New York 
need to change. She stood on that altar eulogizing her hero husband, 
pleading with elected officials in New York State to rethink their 
justice reform and cashless bail, but, unfortunately, it is not going 
to change because Democrats in New York have doubled down.
  You see, I made a promise when I was sworn into the New York City 
Police Department. I put my hand up and took an oath. I took an oath to 
protect and serve the Constitution. I took an oath to protect and serve 
the city of New York. I also made a promise in my heart to never, ever 
forget the men and women who I had the honor to serve with who made the 
ultimate sacrifice.
  That day at that funeral, I made that same promise to Detective First 
Grade Jonathan Diller that I would make sure we never forget him, and 
we won't.
  I am thankful that I have colleagues on both sides of the aisle here 
tonight to pay tribute to law enforcement officers throughout this 
country. I urge all of you to visit the memorial just blocks away and 
read the quote below the statue of the lion when you enter that 
memorial. It says: ``It is not how these officers died that made them 
heroes, it is how they lived.''

  Mr. Speaker, it is not how Jonathan Diller died that made him a hero. 
It is how he lived. It is not how Officers Ramos and Liu, it is not how 
they died that made them heroes, it is how they lived.
  Over 30 years ago, Police Officer Steven McDonald from my 
Congressional District was shot at point blank range in Central Park by 
a group of teenage thugs. He went to the hospital where they said he 
wasn't expected to live, but Steven McDonald fought back every single 
day. His wife, Patti Ann, prayed by his bedside. His son, Conor, my 
good friend, was baptized at his hospital bed.
  Steven McDonald spent his life advocating for the New York City 
Police Department and for law enforcement officers throughout this 
country. He talked about peace and forgiveness and forgave his near 
assassins. Steven McDonald was from the Fourth Congressional District, 
and just a couple of weeks ago I got to witness his son being promoted 
to captain of the New York City Police Department, and Conor continues 
to preserve the legacy of his great father, Steven.
  Mr. Speaker, that is another example of it is not how he died that 
made him a hero, it is how Steven McDonald lived that made him a hero.
  We are gathered here in Washington, D.C., for Police Week to honor 
those men and women who are heroes because we promised to never forget.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford) 
my good friend and brother in blue.
  Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, ``As a law enforcement officer, my 
fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; 
to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression 
or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to 
respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and 
justice.''
  Mr. Speaker, that is the opening line of the Law Enforcement Officers 
Code of Ethics, a code every officer whose name is etched into the 
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial lived and died by.
  Today, I rise to honor two fallen police officers from my district 
whose names were added to the memorial wall this year, Sergeant Michael 
Paul Kunovich and Deputy Sheriff Peder Thomas Johnson.
  Mr. Speaker, on Friday, May 19, 2023, following the arrest of a 
combative suspect armed with a knife, Sergeant Michael Paul Kunovich 
suffered a fatal heart attack from the physical exertion and stress 
caused while apprehending the fleeing suspect.

                              {time}  1945

  Sergeant Kunovich served 26 years in the St. Johns County Sheriff's 
Office. He received numerous awards, including a Meritorious Service 
Award in 2023 and 2013, an Exceptional Service Award in 2010, and many 
letters of commendation. Sergeant Kunovich also served on the SWAT team 
for 5 years while earning his bachelor's degree in public 
administration from Flagler College.
  Through and through, Sergeant Kunovich was a servant leader, 
dedicated to protecting his community until the end of his watch. He 
will be greatly missed by the whole northeast Florida law enforcement 
community.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his family, including his two sons, 
Michael Jr. and Max; his friends; and the men and women of the St. 
Johns County Sheriff's Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to honor the life and service of 
Deputy Sheriff Peder Thomas Johnson who was shot and killed while 
investigating reports of a discharge of a firearm on December 24, 1913. 
That is right, 1913. You see, Mr. Speaker, Deputy Johnson served in the 
Duval County Sheriff's Office for 11 months before his end of watch 
over 110 years ago. However, until this year, he had never been 
recognized. We are forever grateful for his service and the heroic 
legacy that he left behind.
  We promise our officers every day that, as has been said so 
eloquently by my colleague here, we will never forget. This is evidence 
tonight that we will never forget if an officer is called upon to lay 
down that full measure of devotion.
  Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: ``The purpose of life is not to be 
happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to 
have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.''
  Mr. Speaker, these two men whom we honor tonight lived well. May 
these heroes never be forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, as a law enforcement officer for 40 years, including 12 
years as sheriff of Jacksonville, I have dedicated my life to 
protecting and serving my northeast Florida community alongside some of 
the finest men and women.
  Now, in Congress it is my calling to protect those men and women who 
are serving today. Anyone who has put on a badge and answered the call 
of duty knows the dangers that may await. Sadly, that is the reality 
officers and their families accept each time they leave home.
  In 2023, with a 30 percent increase in ambushing of law enforcement 
officers, 378 law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty 
compared to 331 in 2022. That is a 13 percent increase in just 1 year.
  These attacks must end. That is why I introduced the Protect and 
Serve Act, a bipartisan bill to increase penalties on those who want to 
target, ambush, and harm our police officers. I urge Congress to pass 
it.
  If these bad actors want to target the police, then we in Congress 
should target them. It is our responsibility to protect those who 
protect us.
  As anyone who has worked in law enforcement knows, losing a loved 
one, a colleague, or a friend in the line of duty changes you forever.
  I know what officers go through every day when they put on their 
uniform and say goodbye to their families.

[[Page H3193]]

During my over 40-year career, I lost 26 colleagues and friends who 
laid down their lives in service to our community.
  One police officer killed in an ambush is one too many. The increase 
in ambushes and dangerous rhetoric about law enforcement has left many 
agencies struggling now to hire and retain the best and the brightest. 
We must give agencies the tools they need to hire and keep these 
officers. That is also why I introduced the HELPER Act, a bicameral and 
bipartisan bill that I introduced in the House to make it easier for 
police officers and other public servants in our community to buy their 
first home.
  Families everywhere are struggling to get by. In fact, many of our 
Nation's first responders and teachers are priced out of the very 
neighborhoods that they are called to serve. By making homeownership 
easier, the HELPER Act would work to boost the recruitment and 
retention of our dedicated public servants and help make our 
communities safer. Everyone benefits from being neighbors with those 
serving and protecting our way of life.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass these important bills to make 
our communities safer and deliver for our law enforcement officers 
nationwide.
  Mr. Speaker, I just hope and pray that all of us can lead lives that 
are worthy of their sacrifice.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Rutherford for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), who 
is the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman D'Esposito for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am always proud to stand and support our brave law 
enforcement officers who suit up every day. That is especially true 
during National Police Week.
  This year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will add 
282 names of officers who have died in the line of duty.
  I am thinking of my good friend, Passaic County Sheriff Richard 
Berdnik. A dedicated public servant, we will never forget his 
sacrifices that made our community a better place.
  As the longtime co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, I know any 
successful effort to fund and support the police must be bipartisan. I 
am deeply disappointed to see law enforcement politicized these last 
several years. We must stand united against all attacks on police, not 
just certain attacks, all attacks. That includes our brothers and 
sisters working for Federal agencies, too, who many times are 
forgotten.
  When I say all attacks, I mean attacks on January 6, 2021. Mr. 
Speaker, you don't need a cannon on the front lawn of the Capitol of 
the greatest country in the world to say there are actions against our 
police and law enforcement. Of course, there was no cannon on the 
front lawn that day.

  This is Police Week. This is Police Week that can be any week in our 
society. It should be every week, the respect that we show for those 
people who protect our lives day in and day out.
  I am proud of the bipartisan solutions we have enacted to improve the 
physical and mental health of our officers, the same thing with our 
firefighters. In 2015, we enacted the bipartisan National Blue Alert 
Act to protect law enforcement officers who become targets of violent 
criminal attacks. This law has resulted in 37 States developing blue 
alert plans to help catch those who seek to hurt our police.
  In 2019, we permanently authorized the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest 
Partnership grant program. Vests are directly attributable to saving 
the lives of over 300 officers in the last 10 years. Last Congress, I 
introduced my Law Enforcement Training Act which authorized $270 
million to support officer counseling and training for addressing 
mental health. It cannot be a stigma, and we need to address it. It 
should be something that someone comes forth with to seek help. We have 
to create that environment within our departments and within our 
society.
  This Police Week, let us do right by law enforcement communities. Let 
us pass bills that actually fund the police not in words but in action.
  Frankly, I regret that each of the police bills coming to the floor 
this week are more partisan and political than the next. Take a look at 
them, Mr. Speaker. Read them.
  Conversely, across the building, I am glad to see the Senate acting 
by advancing my Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. This bill would ensure 
first responders who die or become disabled from occupational cancer 
get their Public Safety Officers' Benefits. This builds on the bill to 
reform and expand Federal death and disability benefits that we passed 
during Police Week in 2021.
  Pay, benefits, healthcare, housing assistance, and fair retirement 
treatment, bills addressing these items can make a real difference for 
our officers and their families. I hope that we can get that Honor Act 
and other important priorities to the President's desk this Congress.
  God bless our police, and God bless our America.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I was hoping that tonight was about 
honoring, but we want to, I guess, talk about the bills that are on the 
floor this week. We can do that prior to debating, but to say that the 
bills this week are partisan that are supporting law enforcement, I 
would have to disagree. One of them I actually wrote myself. It is 
about providing for the law enforcement officers who are actually being 
attacked in city streets like New York by illegal migrants. The bill 
requires that law enforcement agencies throughout the country are given 
updates as to how this migrant crisis, the Biden border crisis, how it 
is affecting law enforcement so that Congress and local municipalities 
can do the job that they need to do to make sure that law enforcement 
has the resources they need to protect themselves. That does not seem 
partisan to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), 
who is another brother in law enforcement.
  Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from New York, 
Congressman D'Esposito, for leading this important conversation this 
evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here in this hallowed institution. I 
am pleased to honor my brothers and sisters in law enforcement.
  As a police officer with over 20 years of experience, I know 
firsthand the sacrifices law enforcement officers make for the safety 
and security of the communities.
  Policing is a noble and honorable profession, and it can be a 
dangerous one. However, in the years since I have left the profession, 
there has been a dramatic increase in violent attacks on law 
enforcement.
  In 2023 alone, as was previously stated, 378 police officers were 
shot in the line of duty. This is the highest number ever recorded. 
This increase in violence against law enforcement is the direct result 
of the extreme Democrats' disastrous defund-the-police movement, soft-
on-crime policies, and activist prosecutors who have emboldened violent 
criminals and have allowed them to remain free.
  In my colleague's State of New York, we recently lost Officer 
Jonathan Diller who was killed by a career criminal who had been 
released from jail 21 times--21 times. Let that sink in for a moment.

                              {time}  2000

  I watched the eulogy given by Officer Diller's widow, Stephanie, and 
she asked a heartbreaking and very powerful question: ``How many more 
police officers . . . have to make the ultimate sacrifice before we 
start protecting them?''
  Similar questions have been echoed by law enforcement officers in my 
home State of Minnesota, where Burnsville Police Officers Paul 
Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter-Paramedic Adam Finseth were 
recently gunned down responding to a domestic crisis.
  Much like New York, Minnesota is filled with officials who have a 
soft-on-crime, anti-law-enforcement agenda. There is no better example 
of this dysfunction than Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who is 
consistently handing out lenient sentences to violent criminals. In one 
particularly egregious case, she attempted to give someone who had 
committed murder a sentence of 2 years in a rehabilitation

[[Page H3194]]

program. Meanwhile, Moriarty is leading a political prosecution against 
a Minnesota State trooper who acted heroically and lawfully to save the 
life of his partner.
  Mr. Speaker, I am sick and tired of seeing people in power attacking 
our law enforcement heroes while going easy on criminals who wreak 
havoc in our communities. Because of these continued attacks on law 
enforcement by criminals and elected officials, we are unable to 
attract young people to the policing profession.
  Meanwhile, more and more officers are retiring early from the force. 
This has, of course, allowed crime to skyrocket, leaving remaining 
officers and the communities they swore to protect less safe.
  During National Police Week, I demand that all of our Nation's 
leaders do a better job standing up against the ugly attacks on law 
enforcement. There are too many politicians who are all too eager to 
show up to the funerals of our fallen heroes while doing absolutely 
nothing to protect the brave men and women who remain in this noble 
profession. We have a responsibility to defend those who defend us.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues in this Chamber to consider 
Stephanie Diller's questions once more: ``How many more police officers 
. . . have to make the ultimate sacrifice before we start protecting 
them?''
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana 
(Mr. Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, every day, our men and women in blue leave 
their homes and families not knowing whether they will return. This is 
a heartbreaking reality that we do not give enough credit to. These 
heroes selflessly go out into our communities every day to ensure the 
safety of their families, friends, and strangers that they do not know 
and ask for nothing in return.
  Mr. Speaker, this year alone, 98 officers were killed in the line of 
duty. That is 98 too many. One of them is Deputy Sheriff Fred Fislar of 
Hendricks County, Indiana. Deputy Fislar's life tragically ended on 
April 16, 2024, while he responded to a deadly car crash. Officer 
Fislar is survived by his wife and two children. I pray for his family 
and every other officer who has been killed in the line of duty.
  They sacrificed their lives for our safety. As we honor their lives 
during National Police Week, let us not forget how we are all impacted 
by these unsung heroes. Whether we see it or not, we must always back 
the blue.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Williams), my friend and fellow New Yorker.
  Mr. WILLIAMS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding. I know that he speaks with experience and from the heart, and 
I speak on behalf of this body when I thank him for his leadership in 
this important area.
  Mr. Speaker, we remember Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Officer 
Michael Jensen tonight. God bless their families as they mourn.
  Thinking about what it is we are doing here during National Police 
Week, my mind goes to how we can best support law enforcement through 
our work here in Congress. That support can take many forms, but it 
certainly must be more than just rhetoric. What resources do they need 
to carry out their work safely and successfully? The madness and 
stupidity of defund the police is over.
  In my district in central New York, we worked through the 
appropriations process while keeping the needs of our district's police 
at top of mind.
  Some of the most fulfilling work I have had the honor of doing since 
coming to Congress has involved sitting down with local law 
enforcement, hearing about their needs directly from them, and 
advocating for them here in Washington.
  When you speak with these folks, you get a real sense of the gravity 
of their work. They know all too well that they place their lives at 
risk every time they clock in, and they do so for our sake.
  At every opportunity I get, I tell them to make sure that they go 
home to their family at the end of their shift, that they kiss their 
wife and kids, and that they are able to suit up the next day.
  How can we expect law enforcement to have the backs of Americans 
when, so often, politicians with a duty to represent them turn their 
backs on the police? When our police are facing the most difficult 
challenges, it is up to those with the ability to support them to do so 
in any capacity that they can.
  I was proud to join many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
last year to pass the POLICE Act of 2023, which would make assaulting a 
law officer a deportable offense. It is a shame that the Senate has not 
voted on this bill for a year.
  In my home State of New York especially, the police community has 
faced significant trials in recent memory, and I ask again: What more 
can we do? What more must we do?
  Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to offer support to those who do 
so much to support us. I am honored to be here to speak on behalf of 
the law enforcement community today.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Guest), my friend.
  Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall 
be called children of God.
  This week, National Police Week, we thank and reaffirm our support 
for our peacemakers. This week, we honor those men and women who lost 
their lives in the line of duty, the brave men and women who serve and 
protect, who dedicate their lives to defending innocent citizens from 
those who seek to do evil, and who routinely place themselves in harm's 
way. They are the heroes we call in our time of need.
  President Ronald Reagan once said: ``There can be no more noble 
vocation than the protection of one's fellow citizens. . . . No single 
group is more fully committed to the well-being of their fellow 
Americans and to the faithful discharge of duty than our law 
enforcement personnel.''
  In the performance of their duties, danger is a routine part of their 
job, and we, on occasion, lose some valiant men and women.
  Mr. Speaker, let us never forget those who have paid the ultimate 
sacrifice in service to their fellow man, and let the families of our 
fallen officers be comforted by the words in the Gospel of John, 15:13: 
``Greater love has no man than this, to lay down his life for 
another.''
  May we never forget our heroes and their sacrifice.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, as was said, we gathered over the last 
few days and will continue to gather this week for National Police Week 
to honor men and women throughout this great Nation who have worn the 
uniform, who kissed their loved ones good-bye and never came home, 
people like Detective Jonathan Diller, heroes like Patrick Rafferty, 
like Paul Tuozzolo.
  I actually met with Eileen Rafferty and Lisa Tuozzolo today, two 
women who didn't know each other but who have now formed a beautiful 
bond--not a bond out of happiness but a bond from losing their husbands 
on the streets of New York City, both to illegal firearms, murdered and 
taken from this world because they wore the uniform.
  Lisa and Eileen made their trip to Washington, D.C., this week from 
New York not by train, not by bus, not by air, but by bike. They 
pedaled from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. They pedaled their way 
here to Washington, D.C., and arrived at the Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial. They did it to continue to honor their husbands. They did it 
with other line-of-duty families who are honoring their loved ones.
  That is what this week is about. It is about raising awareness of the 
dangers that members of law enforcement face each and every day. It is 
about raising awareness of the fact that, in places like New York, 
Democrats have made the jobs and the lives of law enforcement less 
safe. We heard it from the widow of Jonathan Diller, who was pleading 
during her eulogy for elected officials to do something.
  Mr. Speaker, I am truly thankful to my colleagues who came this 
evening to not just pay tribute to individuals from their districts but 
to pay tribute to law enforcement throughout this country.
  I have to disagree with my friend on the other side of the aisle who 
talked about the bills this week being partisan because I look at them 
as a way to keep this community safe and this

[[Page H3195]]

country safe, like Mr. Van Drew's Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who 
Assault Cops Act. We have seen it on the streets of New York City, cops 
being assaulted in broad daylight by illegal migrants from the Biden 
border crisis.
  How about the Police Our Border Act, my piece of legislation that 
will authorize the Justice Department to provide information to law 
enforcement agencies throughout this country about the migrant crisis 
so that law enforcement has the resources they need to be safe, or 
legislation from   Don Bacon that broadens the ability of qualified, 
trained active and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms. 
That is not partisan. That is giving trained law enforcement 
professionals the right to carry and broaden their right to carry 
firearms.

                              {time}  2015

  The DC CRIMES Act of 2024 from my good friend, Byron Donalds, allows 
Congress to exert their oversight power over the D.C. Council and 
promote safety in Washington, D.C. The common denominator, again, in 
D.C. is it is led by radical Democrats who have made this Nation's 
Capital less safe. That is not partisan; it is actually common sense.
  Then we have Mr. Bishop's Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety 
and Wellness Through Data Act which requires the attorney general to 
assemble reports on violence against law enforcement officers. It 
requires the attorney general to assemble reports on violence against 
law enforcement officers.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't see how that is partisan. It is about keeping 
law enforcement safe. That is not a Republican issue. It is not a 
Democrat issue. It is a United States of America issue.
  Next, we have my brother in blue, Clay Higgins, which condemns 
President Biden's border crisis and the burdens it has created for 
America's law enforcement officers. That is not partisan. The facts and 
the data tell the story. Joe Biden and Secretary Mayorkas have allowed 
millions of illegal migrants into this country. They have been arrested 
for assaulting and attacking law enforcement. Again, that is not 
partisan. Attacking law enforcement is not a Republican concern or a 
Democrat concern; it is an American people concern.
  Further, we have the resolution by Mr. Stauber regarding violence 
against law enforcement officers. There were 374 officers killed since 
2021, a record-breaking 378 officers shot in the line of duty in 2023, 
a 60 percent increase since 2018. The NYPD estimates a record number of 
assaults on officers for 2023, so that doesn't seem partisan either.
  Mr. Speaker, we gather here this week to recognize and remember men 
and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We also gather to raise 
awareness that law enforcement in this country is under attack, and 
they are under attack because there are reckless policies and laws 
being put in place, promoting a far-left agenda that emboldens 
criminals and restricts law enforcement from doing the job they took 
the oath to do. That is what Police Week is about.
  As I just read down that line of legislation that Speaker Johnson and 
Leader Scalise and Whip Emmer and our Conference Chair Elise Stefanik 
have put on the agenda for this week, I find my colleague's comment 
that they are partisan even more ridiculous because as I read through 
each piece of that legislation right now, it is a commonsense approach. 
It is about standing with law enforcement. It is about giving them the 
tools and the resources that they need to do their job. Mr. Speaker, 
that is not a partisan issue. Every piece of legislation on the floor 
this week should have every vote of every Member of this Chamber.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for 
being here this evening, for saluting heroes, for welcoming men and 
women in blue from throughout this country to their offices and to this 
Hill this week. I truly mean it when I say thank you from the bottom of 
my heart.
  I speak to the children and the widows. This week matters to them. It 
matters to the men and women right now who are in locker rooms 
throughout this country, suiting up for their night out on the street. 
It matters that we stand with them.
  Mr. Speaker, I leave you with: ``It is not how these officers died 
that made them heroes; it is how they lived.''
  Mr. Speaker, may they all rest in peace and may they remain the motto 
of the New York City Police Department, ``Fidelis Ad Mortem,'' 
``Faithful Unto Death.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, I first thank my colleague, a true public 
servant, and good friend, Anthony D'Esposito, for giving me time to 
speak tonight.
  As the son and grandson of dedicated police officers, I am honored to 
be here tonight to recognize National Police Week. This week, we pay 
tribute to the brave men and women who put their lives on the line 
every day to keep our communities safe.
  Back home on Long Island, we have a proud legacy of supporting our 
law enforcement officers. From Nassau to Suffolk, our communities stand 
united in gratitude for their service and sacrifice. We recognize the 
unwavering commitment they demonstrate, often at great personal risk, 
to uphold the values of justice, integrity, and service.
  I'd like to specifically recognize the many Suffolk County Police 
Officers who are here in Washington, D.C. this week. We thank them for 
their service, and I look forward to engaging with them this week and 
in the future.
  This week is a poignant reminder of the dedication and the risks 
officers face daily. The recent killing of NYPD Detective Jonathan 
Diller, who was killed in the line of duty, underscores this reality. 
The widespread support following his death from across Long Island 
exemplifies our collective appreciation for those who protect us.
  As we reflect on the challenges faced by law enforcement, let us also 
reaffirm our support for their vital work. Let us stand together in 
appreciation for their dedication to protecting and serving us all.
  To our police officers, I say thank you. Their courage, 
professionalism, and selflessness inspire us all. During National 
Police Week, let's unite in support of law enforcement officers 
nationwide, recognizing their courage, dedication, and sacrifices. We 
must reaffirm our commitment to providing them with the necessary 
resources, support, and respect, enabling them to continue their vital 
work with integrity and honor.

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