[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1429-H1430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR THE NATIONAL PEACE
OFFICERS MEMORIAL SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL HONOR GUARD AND PIPE BAND
EXHIBITION
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 9) authorizing the use of the
Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service and
the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 9
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That
SECTION 1. USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR NATIONAL PEACE
OFFICERS MEMORIAL SERVICE.
(a) In General.--The National Fraternal Order of Police and
its auxiliary shall be permitted to sponsor a public event,
the 44th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service (in
this resolution referred to as the ``Memorial Service''), on
the Capitol Grounds, in order to honor the law enforcement
officers who died in the line of duty during 2024.
(b) Date of Memorial Service.--The Memorial Service shall
be held on May 15, 2025, or on such other date as the Speaker
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules
and Administration of the Senate jointly designate, with
preparation for the event to begin on May 9, 2025, and
takedown completed on May 16, 2025.
SEC. 2. USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR NATIONAL HONOR GUARD
AND PIPE BAND EXHIBITION.
(a) In General.--The National Fraternal Order of Police and
its auxiliary shall be permitted to sponsor a public event,
the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition (in this
resolution referred to as the ``Exhibition''), on the Capitol
Grounds, in order to allow law enforcement representatives to
exhibit their ability to demonstrate Honor Guard programs and
provide for a bagpipe exhibition.
(b) Date of Exhibition.--The Exhibition shall be held on
May 14, 2025, or on such other date as the Speaker of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and
Administration of the Senate jointly designate.
SEC. 3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
(a) In General.--Under conditions to be prescribed by the
Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board, the
event shall be--
(1) free of admission charge and open to the public; and
(2) arranged not to interfere with the needs of Congress.
(b) Expenses and Liabilities.--The sponsors of the Memorial
Service and Exhibition shall assume full responsibility for
all expenses and liabilities incident to all activities
associated with the events.
SEC. 4. EVENT PREPARATIONS.
Subject to the approval of the Architect of the Capitol,
the sponsors referred to in section 3(b) are authorized to
erect upon the Capitol Grounds such stage, sound
amplification devices, and other related structures and
equipment, as may be required for the Memorial Service and
Exhibition.
SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT OF RESTRICTIONS.
The Capitol Police Board shall provide for enforcement of
the restrictions contained in section 5104(c) of title 40,
United States Code, concerning sales, advertisements,
displays, and solicitations on the Capitol Grounds, as well
as other restrictions applicable to the Capitol Grounds, in
connection with the events.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert
extraneous material into the Record on H. Con. Res. 9.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have introduced this bipartisan resolution
along with the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency
Management Subcommittee Ranking Member Greg Stanton of Arizona.
This resolution authorizes the use of these Capitol Grounds for the
44th Annual Peace Officers' Memorial event to honor the law enforcement
officers who died in the line of duty in 2024.
According to the Fraternal Order of Police, last year, there were 342
on-duty officers who were shot, 50 of whom were killed.
In February of this year, tragedy occurred in the district I am
honored to represent when multiple police officers were shot while in
the line of duty. One, Officer Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough
Police Department, made the ultimate sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, he was
only 30 years old.
Police officers across the country put their lives on the line every
single day to keep us safe. Every day that they go out, they put their
uniforms on and leave their families, and they don't know what they are
going to run into. Every day can be a boring day where nothing happens.
They can go through a whole career that way, but they never know and
their families never know. Every single day, they are prepared. They
are ready to give everything as a sacrifice to their communities to
make sure that safety is preserved.
That is why I and my friend, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Stanton), are extremely honored to once again be able to sponsor this
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 9, which authorizes the use of the
Capitol Grounds for the 44th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial
Service on May 15, 2025. I thank the gentleman
[[Page H1430]]
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) for his leadership as the subcommittee
chair.
This incredibly important event, which is hosted by the National
Fraternal Order of Police, will honor Federal, State, and local law
enforcement officers who lost their lives performing their duties in
the year 2024.
In addition to the family and friends of the deceased, event
organizers expect up to 25,000 police officers from around the country
to be in attendance.
Among those honored and remembered will be Officer Adam R. Buckner of
the Tucson Police Department, Officer Joshua Briese of the Gila River
Police Department, Detective Ryan So of the Scottsdale Police
Department, and Officer Zane Tristan Coolidge of the Phoenix Police
Department.
Police Officer Zane Coolidge was shot in the line of duty while
responding to reports of larceny, passing away at the hospital. He
served with the Phoenix Police Department for 5 years and is survived
by his wife and infant daughter.
Officer Buckner was killed on March 31, 2024, when he was hit by a
car while responding to a reported crime. He is survived by his wife,
mother, sister, and three brothers.
Mr. Speaker, 23-year-old Joshua Briese was shot and killed while
responding to a disturbance call in the Gila River Indian Community. He
had served with the Gila River Police Department for less than 1 year
and was still completing field training. His father, Deputy Sheriff
David Leroy Briese, Jr., of the Yellowstone County Sheriff's
Department, Montana, died in the line of duty on November 3, 2006. We
owe a special debt of gratitude to this family that has lost two of
their family members, police officers who died in the line of duty.
Ryan So was accidentally shot and killed after serving a search
warrant and conducting an arrest in Scottsdale. A United States Navy
veteran who served with the Scottsdale Police Department for 9 years,
Detective So is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important resolution. This is an important
event to honor police officers who died in the line of duty and also to
honor those living who are willing to die in the line of duty to serve
their community.
Therefore, I support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do
the same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, like my friend, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Stanton), implied, these are heartbreaking, heart-wrenching stories
about real people. Oftentimes, in our country, people look for heroes.
They look to sporting fields. They look to pop culture for their
heroes, but their heroes walk right among them, right in their own
communities every single day, again, being willing when they put on
that uniform, when they sign up, to say, ``I will give all for my
community,'' running to the sound of the gun, running to the danger,
unlike most other people whose senses, whose sensibilities, tell
them to go the other way.
This is the smallest thing we can do to acknowledge the enormous
sacrifice that law enforcement makes every single day in our community,
to acknowledge that sacrifice and to honor those heroes who are near
and far.
In closing, I reiterate my support for H. Con. Res. 9, which will
honor the fallen men and women serving our Nation as law enforcement
officers.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this 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 Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 9.
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.
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