[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2913-S2916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          National Police Week

  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I flew back to Washington, DC, from the 
glorious State of Oklahoma on Monday. It was a normal flight for me to 
be able to fly in on a Monday morning.
  As I landed at DCA airport and squeezed out of my coach seat, where I 
had been for the last 4 hours, and walked off the plane and into the 
terminal, there was a line of police officers on both sides of the 
gate. They were honor guards from all over the country. As I walked off 
the plane, I realized there was a family member of the fallen on my 
same plane, and I didn't know it.
  Many Americans may not know that this is Police Week. It is a week 
when the Nation stops to be able to pause to thank all those police 
officers who served around the country and who literally put their 
lives on the line every single week for our country--every week.
  My colleague Ashley Moody is helping to cohost this time as we have a 
conversation about Police Week and what it means to be in law 
enforcement in America now. She is not only a great Senator from 
Florida, but she is also the wife of the deputy police chief of the 
Plant City Police Department in Florida. She knows what it means to be 
able to hug a loved one, look them in the eye, and say: Stay safe out 
there. She knows exactly what that means.
  As I stepped off the plane on Monday and walked through the middle of 
that honor guard, as they were looking for a family member to step off 
somewhere on that plane, what they were looking for this week was the 
family of a fallen police officer to step off that same plane, whom 
they were going to escort into Washington, DC, because, this week, 
their loved one's name is being added to the list of law enforcement 
who have died in the line of duty.
  It is a painful reminder of the reality of what it means to be in law 
enforcement. You get up every day, and you take care of your neighbors. 
Some days, you are pulling over a reckless driver and trying to be able 
to protect the rest of the community from someone who has had too much 
alcohol, smoked too much marijuana. By the way, I think any is too 
much, but that is a different conversation for a different day. For 
that person, they are going to try to protect the rest of society from 
their dangerous acts.
  It is that moment when we are in traffic, we are driving down the 
road, and a car whips around us at 90 miles an hour. We are used to 
traffic, and we think: I wish there was a police officer here to take 
care of that.
  They are out there. Some of them are going to get up this morning 
very early and do a warrant service on someone who has violated the 
law, whom they are going to be able to actually get to their house 
maybe at 3 in the morning and to try to be able to arrest them before 
there is an incident.
  There are some of them who, actually, when there is a shot being 
fired in an apartment complex somewhere, and as everybody else 
scatters, they turn on their lights and drive toward the sound.
  They are law enforcement. That is what they do. They get up every 
day, and they put on a vest to be able to protect the center of their 
body because they know, at any point during the course of the day, they 
could be facing danger coming right at them. They serve their 
community.
  It is always interesting to me when I often ask people their thoughts 
and beliefs about law enforcement. I say: The real test of what you 
think about police is when you are driving down the highway, you look 
in your rearview mirror, and you see an officer right behind you. That 
is always the test of what you actually think about police. It is that 
first emotion. Is that first emotion, ``Oh, no''? Or is that first 
emotion, ``I feel safer; there is a police officer right behind me''?
  You see, those law enforcement officers literally spend every day 
protecting total strangers who live in their community. They work very 
long hours, a lot of times in isolation. They go into dangerous 
places--often, first by themselves--because they care about their 
community.
  In the past decade, there seems to have been a shift in attitudes 
about law enforcement. For some reason, it has become trendy to be able 
to attack law enforcement, to belittle them, to demand we defund police 
departments entirely, to be able to criticize them for every sort of 
thing.
  I will tell you, every police officer I talk to will say: Hey, we are 
all humans too. We make mistakes, as well, just like everyone else.
  But for some reason, law enforcement doesn't seem to get the same 
grace everybody else gets.
  When somebody gets pulled over and gets a warning, they are grateful 
for the grace. But when the news hits of a police officer doing 
something, it seems the community doesn't want to give them a warning. 
It wants them to always get consequences.
  What I hear from most law enforcement whom I know is: Hey, we are 
just one of everybody else, but the difference is we have dedicated our 
lives to protecting people who will cuss us out and will literally lie 
to us all day long. But we are still committed to protect them.
  That is what they do. They literally get into a dangerous situation, 
as has happened recently in Oklahoma. There could have been shots 
coming at them or an attack coming at them, but, instead, that person 
turned the weapon on themselves. And law enforcement immediately moved 
from trying to protect the community and protecting themselves to 
jumping in immediately and trying to save the life of the person who 
just started attacking them.
  How many people would do that? Law enforcement does it every day--
every day.
  There is an old adage in tax policy: If you tax something more, you 
get less of it. Raise the taxes on it enough, and people just stop 
buying it.
  You know, it works exactly the same with criticism. If you criticize 
something more and more and more, you get less and less and less of it.
  I remember a day, when I was growing up, that everybody wanted to be 
a police officer because everyone had respect for police officers. Now 
there is a generation growing up that all they have heard is criticism 
of law enforcement. And do you know what? It is hurting recruiting.
  Why don't we look people in the eye and see them for who they are? 
They are folks who get up every day, defend their neighbors, do what 
they can to bring calm to a crazy, chaotic situation, and serve total 
strangers.
  I have had the benefit of my dad being a smalltown cop for decades. I 
know what it is like to be in a family and to be able to think about: 
How is your family member doing today?
  So when I talk about law enforcement, maybe, it is a little different 
for me. But I think it should be a little different for our whole 
community, actually, and I think it should be different for our Nation.
  So on this Police Week, I have two things to say: Thank you to those 
who are serving all over the country right now, some right here in this 
Capitol. Thank you to those folks who are serving our Nation today. We 
are exceptionally grateful for you.
  And for those of you who, this year, have lost a loved one in the 
line of duty, I want you to know that our Nation is grateful. We see 
their sacrifice, and we are of the tribe to be able to say: We want 
this to be different.
  In 2020, Sergeant Johnson--Craig Johnson--I am going to say his whole 
name. Sergeant Craig Johnson in 2020 was shot during a traffic stop in 
Tulsa. He was 45 years old. He had a wife, Kristi, and two sons, Connor 
and Clinton.
  When Sergeant Johnson's killer was sentenced in 2022, his wife Kristi 
just had one clear thing to say. She said:

       My request at this time is that the silent majority that I 
     have seen and heard from starts speaking up and changing the 
     anti-police culture being created.


[[Page S2914]]


  Kristi, we still hear you, 3 years later, and we are still grateful 
for the sacrifice you and your family have made and for other families 
like yours. We are not silent. We are grateful.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mrs. MOODY. Mr. President, the Senator from Oklahoma certainly said 
some powerful things. I want to thank him, as the son of a cop, for 
making those statements and for leading this floor event today and 
allowing me to assist him with that. As the wife of a cop, it was very 
meaningful to me, and I know it was meaningful to many in this Gallery.
  Thank you.
  I rise today in celebration of officers but with solemn reflection 
during National Police Week. It is a time when our Nation pauses to 
honor the men and women of law enforcement and to remember those who 
have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
  Certainly, as the newest Senator of the U.S. Senate, it is an honor 
for me to be here on the Senate floor to lead this floor event and 
these speeches that show united support for the men and women who 
serve.
  I want to thank Sheriff Bill Prummell from Charlotte County, who is 
here with us. He is also the president of the Florida Sheriffs 
Association. We have 67 sheriffs within our State, and he leads the 
herd of them. We are grateful that he is here, along with other men and 
women of law enforcement from Florida.
  He is certainly a hero whom I have become friends with and respect, 
not just for the person he is but for the person he was when he chose 
to take the oath and wear a badge. I think that takes a really 
selfless, special, brave person.
  I know we have students with us and visitors here today in the 
Gallery, and I would like him to stand so that they can recognize and 
see a true Florida hero.
  Thank you. Thank you, Sheriff Prummell.
  Police Week is more than a yearly tradition. It is a promise that we 
will never forget, that we will never take for granted the courage it 
takes to wear that badge, and that we will never stop saying the names 
or praying for the families of those whom we have lost.
  Every day, officers across the country put on their uniforms, they 
put on the badge, and they put on a bulletproof vest not knowing what 
that day will hold, and they do so out of a deep commitment and love 
for the communities they serve. They stand in the gap so that others 
may live in safety and peace, but that comes with risk.
  In Florida, I say time and time again--and we pride ourselves--we may 
have a bit of a debate and a friendly competition here, but I believe 
we will win--that we are the most pro-law enforcement State in the 
Nation. Our leaders back the blue, tan, and green, and we do whatever 
it takes to help those brave officers do their jobs. Today, we gather 
to honor those who gave everything in service to that oath.
  In honor of National Police Week, I was proud to join a bipartisan 
resolution designating May 11 through 17 as National Police Week. This 
Police Week resolution reiterates our unwavering support for law 
enforcement officers across this Nation.
  As Florida's former attorney general and the wife of a law 
enforcement officer, I have had the opportunity to work closely with so 
many brave men and women in law enforcement across Florida and indeed 
our Nation. They stand on that thin line between good and evil, between 
order and chaos. They do so, so that we may sleep safely and soundly at 
night.
  This week, we remember not only the uniforms and titles but the 
lives, the people behind them. I would like to recognize and ask for a 
moment to honor the following Florida heroes who gave their lives over 
the past year while protecting our communities: Deputy Sheriff William 
May from Walton County Sheriff's Office; Sergeant Elio Diaz from 
Charlotte County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Sheriff Ignacio ``Dan'' Diaz 
from Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Sheriff Ralph ``Butch'' 
Waller, Jr., from Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office; Corporal Luis 
Paez from Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office; Corrections Officer 
Bradford McNew from Jacksonville Sheriff's Office; Police Officer 
Jeremy Boykins from West Palm Beach Police Department; Master Deputy 
Sheriff Bradley Michael Link from Lake County Sheriff's Office; and 
Trooper Zachary Fink from Florida Highway Patrol. Each of those names 
represents not only a terrible loss to our State, but they leave a 
legacy of bravery, selflessness, and unwavering service.
  To the families, friends, and fellow officers of those we lost, we 
see you, we stand with you, we grieve with you, and we continue to pray 
for you.
  As the wife of a career law enforcement officer, I cannot imagine 
this loss or express words to ease the pain, but we offer our deepest 
gratitude and our support, and we are here for you in every way 
possible and thank you that you stood by them while they stood for us 
in ensuring our communities could live in peace and safety.
  Your loved ones were the heroes, the Florida heroes, and their 
memories live on in the communities they protected and the lives they 
touched.
  To every active-duty officer here in Washington, DC, here this week 
for National Police Week and those back at home protecting our 
communities right now as I am speaking on the Senate floor, thank you 
for your courage. Thank you for answering this important call to stand 
strong and brave on that line. Thank you for serving even when it is 
difficult, even when it is dangerous, and even when it comes at great 
personal cost.
  On a personal note, please let me thank those families that stand 
behind you. They stand behind you even when there is an unpredictable 
schedule, even when there are unique stressors that you bring home.
  Thank you to those families for loving and supporting our brave 
Florida heroes.
  Let us carry forward the legacy of the following: duty, honor, and 
service. Those indeed were the mission and the dedication and service 
of those that we have lost. That is how they lived their lives every 
day. They stood for something greater than themselves.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I rise today for National Police Week to 
honor the courageous men and women of law enforcement in Missouri and 
across our great country.
  Over the past decade, our police officers have weathered a flood of 
propaganda and lies, repeated and pushed by many of the most powerful 
voices in America. They have been villainized and smeared by the press, 
undermined and attacked by politicians, and targeted by a great wave of 
violent anarchy that has terrorized towns and cities across the 
country. They carry this burden with the same quiet courage and resolve 
as the generations of American police officers that came before them. 
They put on their uniforms every morning and run toward the danger.
  It has been my honor to back the blue every step of the way. I did it 
as attorney general of Missouri. I backed tougher sentencing rules, 
fought anti-police policies pushed by city officials, led the charge to 
secure more boots on the ground for our police in St. Louis, and 
launched the Safer Streets Initiative, partnering with Federal 
prosecutors to go after violent criminals in Missouri's most dangerous 
neighborhoods.
  When I ran for the Senate, I was proud to be endorsed by the 
Fraternal Order of Police, and I have worked every day to make good on 
the trust our law enforcement officers have placed in me.
  Last month, I introduced the Public Safety Free Speech Act to defend 
the First Amendment rights of our police and our firefighters and our 
first responders who had been disciplined, suspended, or even fired for 
their political speech.
  In many parts of our country, first responders have little to no 
legal protections for constitutionally protected speech, even when they 
are off duty, leaving them at the mercy of activist supervisors and 
city officials. Police and other first responders have been fired or 
suspended for criticizing Black Lives Matter, voicing support for 
President Trump, or even donating $25 to Kyle Rittenhouse's defense 
fund.

[[Page S2915]]

That is wrong, and our bill would make it right.

  If you want to know the kind of danger our first responders face 
every day, look at what happened just a few weeks ago. On April 27, a 
Kansas City first responder was brutally murdered by a known criminal 
who had been released from custody shortly before the attack. His name 
is Graham Hoffman. He was just 29 years old. He was stabbed to death 
while trying to save someone's life.
  In the wake of that tragedy, I announced that I will be working with 
our brave firefighters here in Washington, DC, and around the country 
and other first responder groups to introduce a bill to increase 
Federal penalties for killing or assaulting first responders. Those who 
would assault or kill police officers and first responders should know 
that they will face swift and devastating justice.
  It is no coincidence that the radicals who seek to dismantle our 
civilization have our law enforcement officers in their crosshairs. 
They know that our policemen are the guardians of law and order, the 
thin blue line between peace and chaos, order and lawlessness, society 
and anarchy. Without them, there is no rule of law, and without the 
rule of law, there is no civilization.
  This is the sacred responsibility of the men and women who risk their 
lives so that others may live in peace. I will never apologize for 
standing with those who wear the badge. I always have, and I always 
will.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise during National Police Week, 
joining my colleagues to recognize the sacrifices of the brave men and 
women of law enforcement and honor those who choose to serve their 
communities while experiencing the reality every day that they may not 
return home to their loved ones.
  It was nearly 2 years ago that I stood on the floor here in the U.S. 
Senate and spoke about one such example of that self-sacrifice in my 
State of North Dakota. In July 2023, Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin 
was tragically killed in the line of duty. He and his fellow officers 
were ambushed while responding to a traffic incident. In addition to 
Officer Wallin, Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes were shot and 
injured before a fourth Fargo police officer, Zach Robinson, overcame a 
barrage of gunfire and eventually subdued the assailant.
  Last year during Police Week, Officer Robinson was recognized for his 
courage under fire by the National Association of Police Organizations 
and received the TOP COP Award for his actions during that tragic 
event.
  At the same time, the name of Officer Wallin, along with another 
North Dakota hero, Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin, was inscribed onto 
the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, DC--
a lasting tribute for making the ultimate sacrifice.
  We can never forget these officers, and we can never repay all of our 
police officers for the enormous sacrifices that they make, but we can 
continue to show respect for law enforcement, honor those we have lost, 
and recognize the sacrifices of their families and their loved ones.
  To honor our men and women in blue, I helped to introduce a 
resolution, along with my colleague from Missouri and others, 
commemorating National Police Week and paying tribute to their bravery. 
National Police Week provides us with the opportunity to come together 
as a nation to honor the peace officers who put their lives on the line 
to protect and serve in our communities.
  In addition, our resolution recognizes and honors the 233 law 
enforcement officers that were killed in the line of duty during 2024. 
Unfortunately, this number has increased since 2023, when 220 law 
enforcement officers died in the line of duty.
  The recent examples we have seen of law enforcement officers being 
targeted, even in broad daylight, are unacceptable. That is why I have 
also helped introduce the Thin Blue Line Act, legislation to increase 
penalties for criminals who target law enforcement and first 
responders. I encourage my colleagues to support legislation like this 
to protect the men and women of law enforcement.
  As we again mark National Police Week, let us recognize the 
selflessness and commitment of our police officers and the sacrifices 
they make on behalf of our communities. Today and every day, we 
recognize the bravery and dedication of our law enforcement to keep our 
communities safe. They are our neighbors, our friends, our family, and 
our leaders in our communities. May God bless our peace officers and 
keep them safe.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
  Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, this week is National Police Week.
  Thank you to all of our law enforcement officers across this great 
country who work to keep our communities safe. In particular, thank you 
to the women and men who put on the blue in the State of Nebraska.
  They face danger every day on our behalf, and they serve with 
courage.
  I believe that Nebraska's law enforcement is a model for the rest of 
the Nation--their professionalism, their diligence. I will use the 
example of the Omaha Police Department. The Omaha Police Department has 
a homicide clearance rate of 100 percent. This is in a time when the 
national homicide clearance rate is under 60 percent. It is a testament 
to their excellence and dedication.
  Omaha has also seen its murder rate decline in each of the last 4 
years. Many cities saw the crime rate go up during COVID. What we see 
in Omaha now is that murder rate coming down in our great city.
  In Nebraska, we back the blue. We support the women and men who 
protect our communities. It is one of the things that--I am very proud 
of Nebraskans and the way they do this. We give them the tools and the 
training, and we have strong laws. In Omaha, we have a prosecutor, Don 
Kleine, who prosecutes the criminals. We have a great police chief who 
enforces the law. That is one of the reasons why we are able to bring 
down, for example, the murder rate.
  When I was Governor, we passed one of the most comprehensive law 
enforcement and public safety packages in our State's history.
  We were able to create hiring bonuses for our police departments to 
be able to help attract and retain law enforcement officers. We 
increased the educational benefits, the retirement benefits.
  We invested in our law enforcement training center to be able to do a 
better job training our officers. And we invested in our crime lab to 
be able to help our law enforcement agencies solve those crimes and be 
able to provide that justice to the victims of crime.
  All this is because we, in Nebraska, support the blue. Americans want 
this Congress to support our law enforcement officers as well, just 
like we do in Nebraska.
  I am also very proud of the work our law enforcement did when we had 
the southern border crisis under Biden. Joe Biden's lack of attention 
and terrible policies led to a flood of illegal drugs coming across our 
southern border.
  Law enforcement agencies like the Nebraska State Patrol stepped up to 
be able to interdict those drugs. In fact, in my year as Governor, 
Nebraska State Patrol was able to take twice as much methamphetamine, 3 
times as much fentanyl, and 10 times as much cocaine as they had done 
just 2 years prior because of the open border policies of the Biden 
administration and what that allowed, those illegal drugs in. But our 
law enforcement stepped up to keep our community safe.
  Here, in the U.S. Congress this year, we passed the HALT Fentanyl 
Act. That will create stronger penalties and make sure that fentanyl is 
listed as a schedule I drug. When you have stronger penalties, you are 
going to have tougher sentencing and less fentanyl in your streets. 
That is important because we, in Nebraska, have seen the tragedies of 
fentanyl overdoes.
  Taryn Lee Griffith was a young mom whose life was taken because she 
took a pill that was laced with fentanyl. These are the stories that we 
want to end. We have got to make sure our young people are not being 
killed by the scourge of fentanyl.
  I will continue to work with President Trump to secure our border to

[[Page S2916]]

give some relief to our law enforcement officers across this country so 
that they don't have to continue to see stories and tragedies like 
Taryn Lee Griffith.
  We have got to make sure we are supporting our law enforcement 
officers. I will continue to fight to give our law enforcement officers 
the tools they need. I co-led the Back the Blue Act, which would 
increase the penalties for those criminals who are targeting law 
enforcement officers and give law enforcement other tools to protect 
themselves.
  My colleague from North Dakota was just talking about the Thin Blue 
Line Act, and I am a cosponsor of that as well. Senator Cruz introduced 
that bill.
  We need to make sure we, in the Congress, are doing what we can to 
support our law enforcement officers.
  During this Police Week, we also recognize those officers who lost 
their lives in the line of duty. Ross Bartlett was a police officer 
from Ceresco, NE, Police Department. He lost his life in the line of 
duty.
  His cruiser was rammed by a driver who allegedly was distracted while 
texting and came into the shoulder. He was killed last year.
  This week, his family is in Washington, DC, as part of Police Week, 
and they rented an Airbnb in Maryland. When the owner of that Airbnb 
discovered why they were here--and by the way, that owner is a Capitol 
Police officer--when that Capitol Police officer found out why they 
were there, he comped their entire stay this week at that Airbnb.
  That is the demonstration of the brotherhood and sisterhood among law 
enforcement officers, and it is one of the stories that all too often 
gets overlooked of how our law enforcement officers take care of each 
other as well as take care of our communities.
  We recognize the loss of the Bartlett family and honor Ross Bartlett 
for his service and sacrifice to the community of Ceresco and our State 
of Nebraska.
  During Police Week, I encourage everyone in Nebraska and across the 
country to say thank you to our law enforcement officers. These women 
and men protect our communities and sacrifice much for us. Say thank 
you this week and every week throughout the year and recognize and 
honor what they do for us.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Banks). The Senator from Hawaii.
  Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 2:15 vote 
start now.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.