[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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