[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Minnesota ICE Shooting

  Mrs. MOODY. Mr. President, tomorrow is Law Enforcement Appreciation 
Day, and it was my intention to come to the floor today and talk about 
some great officers and celebrate the men and women that put their 
lives on the line to protect us every day. Indeed, I encourage every 
American across this great Nation to do just that, say thank you for 
signing up courageously for an often thankless job. But in light of 
recent events, I feel I must address a more pressing issue.
  The horrific situation that occurred yesterday morning in Minnesota 
is tragic. Radical protestors intending to run over Federal immigration 
officers with cars, that cannot happen. In fact, protestors that show 
up with intent to harass or obstruct or impede or aggressively approach 
or violently assault officers, it cannot happen.
  When they are doing their jobs, it is a precarious, often dangerous, 
situation. I can tell you that firsthand as the wife of a law 
enforcement officer. I beg anyone thinking about participating in this 
kind of behavior to think twice for all involved.
  They must be given space to focus. It is a very dangerous situation 
in some of these missions and law enforcement activities. That is why I 
introduced the Halo Act back in November because, as I saw the threats 
of political violence, of threats against our law enforcement officers 
were rapidly increasing, I knew that we had to do something. And so I 
introduced the Halo Act so that one of these events wouldn't occur.
  I don't know how officers are able to do their jobs with people 
impeding them and getting in their faces as they are trying to focus on 
executing their duties.
  It is deeply troubling to hear the anti-law enforcement rhetoric 
being used by so many when it comes to Federal officers simply trying 
to show up and do the jobs that we, as a nation, hired them to do.
  And what happened yesterday in terms of folks showing up with the 
intent to obstruct officers, that is not an isolated incident. It is 
part of this broader pattern of coordinated efforts, encouraged by 
elected politicians who keep increasing their rhetoric and almost 
encouraging--let me just take the ``almost'' out, encouraging people to 
get in the way of law enforcement officers trying to do their job, 
knowing how dangerous that is, not only dangerous for law enforcement 
officers but for those who show up and try to impede their efforts.
  Elected Democrat officials right now are using radical rhetoric and 
encouraging people in their cities and their States to harass and 
obstruct officers. Many of them are even using taxpayer funds to help 
speak out and coordinate. According to the Department of Homeland 
Security, assaults on police are up 1,300 percent, death threats on 
police up 8,000 percent.
  This alarming trend threatens public safety and the rule of law--the 
rule of law--and the expectation that we would support the men and 
women who uphold it. That is what is attracting people from around the 
United States of America to my home State, the great free State of 
Florida, because we support them. We protect our officers. In fact, we 
introduced legislation and passed legislation to give them a safety 
zone, a buffer zone to do their jobs and do them safely.
  The Halo Act, which I introduced 2 months ago, will ensure that 
Federal officers can perform their duties without fear of intimidation, 
interference, or violence. The legislation would make it illegal for 
anyone, after being asked, told to stand back, to knowingly come within 
25 feet of an officer who is doing their job if their intent is to 
interfere with the officer's work or threaten them with physical harm.
  It is modeled after a law in Florida, and we know it will work. It 
will provide the necessary buffer zone to allow officers to focus on 
the execution of their duties, and that is what is safe for everyone.
  Essentially, the bill would institute the zones and keep the officers 
safe. It would also make sure that this buffer zone or safety zone is 
there to protect others.
  I implore my colleagues to join in this mission, in this proposed 
legislation, and cosponsor the Halo Act. It is obvious we must act now 
to protect these officers that protect us. And we must send a message 
that targeted attacks, interference with the duties of officers, 
threat, harm, violence against law enforcement must end. We owe it to 
our communities. We owe it to the brave people that sign up for these 
jobs to strengthen the protections around them.
  Ahead of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we have to acknowledge 
that without the men and women that put on that badge every day, this 
would not be the country that we know. It is a fragile line between 
order and chaos, and the people that sign up to stand on that line, 
come what may, need to be protected, and this act would do just that.
  I urge my colleagues to join me and support the Halo Act to have our 
officers' back, to ensure our communities are safe and that they can do 
their jobs.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.