[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3517-H3521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN OFFICERS
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr.
Rutherford of Florida was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the majority leader.)
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to celebrate Police
Week, the National Police Week celebration for the police officers who
have given their lives in service to their communities.
This is a very bipartisan hour that we are going to have, and I am
glad and proud to have with us here on the same side Josh Gottheimer
from New Jersey who is, without a doubt, I think, one of the most
supportive of our law enforcement officers in the Chamber. I have
always enjoyed working with Josh.
{time} 1840
Mr. Speaker, I will begin with this quote:
``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 and disorder; and to respect the
constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.''
That is the first line of the Law Enforcement Officer's 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 the 363 fallen officers whose names were added
to the wall this year, including 10 officers from Florida.
Sadly, these officers are joining over 24,000 of their brothers and
sisters whose names are already etched into that wall.
Each fallen officer said goodbye to their loved ones as they put on
their gun and badge to protect and serve their community, not knowing
if they would ever return home. They stood as a shield between the
vulnerable citizens that they vowed to protect and those intent on
doing them harm.
Of the 363 officers added this year, 111 were killed in the line of
duty in 2025, which is 111 too many.
Ambushes and unprovoked attacks on our Nation's law enforcement
officers are happening at an alarming rate, making the job of a law
enforcement officer even more dangerous.
Almost daily in 2025, an officer was shot in the line of duty,
totaling 347 shot, and 45 of those officers died. Specifically, there
were 67 separate ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers which
left 90 officers shot and 22 of them fatally.
There was also over 90,000 officer assaults last year, indicating a
rate of 13.8 assaults per 100 officers, the highest officer assault
rate in 10 years.
This violence upon our officers is unacceptable, and ambushes on our
officers must stop. That is why I want to make it clear to the criminal
element who are intent on attacking our officers, if you target law
enforcement, Congress will target you.
This Congress, Josh Gottheimer and I introduced the Protect and Serve
Act, a bipartisan bill to increase penalties on those who target,
ambush, and harm our officers. I urge all of my colleagues to support
passage of this very important legislation.
It is our responsibility to protect those who protect us. Of the 111
officers killed in the line of duty this past year, I would like to
take just a minute to honor a few of them.
On July 23, Ohio's Lorain Police Department Officers Phillip C.
Wagner and Peter Gale were taking their lunch break in their police
vehicle when a 28-year-old man with a high-powered rifle opened fire on
them and later a responding officer, Brent Payne. The officers were
able to return fire, killing the heavily armed assailant who had
ambushed the two patrol cars parked at the end of a dead-end street.
Officers Gale and Payne were critically injured but made recoveries.
Sadly, Officer and United States Marine Corps veteran Phillip C.
Wagner's end of watch was July 24, 2025.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, including his wife and
three children, his friends, and the men and women of the Lorain Police
Department.
I also rise today to honor the life and service of four Northern York
County Regional Police Department detectives in southern Pennsylvania
whose lives were taken in a senseless ambush on September 17, 2025.
Detective Sergeant Cody Becker, along with Detectives Mark Baker and
Isaiah Emenheiser, were attempting to serve a warrant for a stalking
suspect when they were met by gunfire that took the lives of three
detectives and wounded two others.
Together, Detective Sergeant Becker, Detective Baker, and Detective
Emenheiser served the Northern York County Regional Police Department
for a combined 57 years.
I will close with this, Mr. Speaker: Ralph Emerson once said that the
purpose of life is not to be happy; it is to be useful; it is to be
honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that
you lived and lived well.
[[Page H3518]]
These officers did just that. They lived well. We are forever
grateful for their service and the heroic legacy of these fallen
officers.
I ask, Mr. Speaker, that all of us and all of those watching, that we
would all live the rest of our lives worthy of these officers'
sacrifice.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Gottheimer).
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking and recognizing
my very dear friend and a phenomenal leader in our country, Sheriff
John Rutherford.
Sheriff Rutherford served in law enforcement and continues to serve
our great country today in Congress. He serves with distinction and a
deep recognition that standing by our men and women who wear a uniform
is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue. It is what we should
do for our communities and our country, and I am grateful for him. I
thank him so much.
It is an honor to serve as the co-chair of the bipartisan House Law
Enforcement Caucus, especially this week during National Police Week
when we honor the brave men and women in law enforcement and all of the
first responders who put their lives on the line every single day to
protect our communities and keep our families safe.
Of course, as the sheriff said, this is a particularly tough week
because we recognize the fallen and honor the fallen, and, of course,
spend time with their families.
But every day, officers and families from across our Nation watch as
their loved ones go off to protect us. So while we gather here in
Washington to honor those who put on the badge and remember those who
made the ultimate sacrifice, we also honor those who go out every
single day.
Earlier this month, Congressman Rutherford and I attended the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony here in our
Nation's Capital, surrounded by thousands of names etched into that
stone wall, names that represent heroes, families forever changed, and
a debt we can never fully repay.
You heard Congressman Rutherford share some of the names that will be
etched onto that wall. This year 363 brave officers will be added to
the memorial, including 11 officers from my home State of New Jersey.
Tonight, we honor their memory, their courage, and their sacrifice,
and we recommit ourselves to them, because the names on the walls,
those are moms and dads and brothers and sisters and loved ones. So we
commit ourselves to them, to getting the backs of men and women who
continue to serve.
{time} 1850
Every single day when they wake up, our officers put on that
bulletproof vest, kiss their spouses and children good-bye, and head
into unknown danger. They run toward that danger when many run away.
They are the first to respond, often the last to leave, and, far too
often, the ones we only recognize when tragedy strikes.
That is why it is so important this week that we recognize them.
Frankly, we should be doing this every day to honor their service,
because to me the badge represents that service and sacrifice,
unwavering commitment, courage in the face of danger, and a true bond
with the communities that officers serve every day.
Mr. Speaker, supporting law enforcement should never be a partisan
issue. I will say this time and again. It is why we are standing
together on one side of the aisle, symbolically, because there should
be no Democrat or Republican way to protect a community or stand by an
officer.
That is why we are so proud to work together every day on legislation
with a group of us. Support can't stop with words, it has to require
action. That is why we continue fighting for commonsense investments in
public safety and in the officers who protect our communities.
Together, we worked to secure more than $1 billion in Byrne Justice
Assistance Grants and Community Oriented Policing Services resources to
help local departments hire officers, improve training, and access
critical support.
We helped secure resources for bulletproof vests, hate crime
prevention initiatives, and support for smaller departments and rural
departments. We secured full lifetime resources for the World Trade
Center Health Program so our 9/11 responders and survivors continue to
receive the care they earned and deserve.
The sheriff talked about our push on the bipartisan Invest to Protect
Act because we know that smaller and midsize departments need more
support, not less. We need more, not less. They need help with
retaining and recruitment and mental health resources, especially for
our smaller departments who carry the burdens of the jobs home every
day. We have to help them.
We talked about the Protect and Serve Act to ensure stronger
penalties for those who deliberately target law enforcement officers in
the line of duty. I also support, and have in the past, the Thin Blue
Line Act because, Mr. Speaker, if you deliberately hurt a cop, you are
going to jail; and if you kill a cop, you should get the death penalty.
This week, during National Police Week, I announced the bipartisan
Stop the Doxx Act to protect officers and their families from targeted
intimidation online. It is because protecting law enforcement means
protecting officers not only while they are serving on the streets but
also at home with their families. The idea that people are taking
pictures of officers without their permission, pictures of their
family--they are taking the information of their address and their
phone numbers and putting that online to target officers--is totally
unacceptable. As the sheriff said: If you target officers, Congress
will target you.
As I have said for years: We need to fund, not defund, law
enforcement to keep our communities safe. Weakened law enforcement does
not make our communities safer. It drives good officers away, it
strains departments, and it undermines our communities and public
safety.
Tonight is, first and foremost, about gratitude and honoring,
honoring those who have served, those who have made the ultimate
sacrifice.
To your families, all those families out there, some of whom the
sheriff talked about: God bless you. Thank you. We pray for you. We are
here to take your tragedy and ensure that it is remembered with action.
To those who continue to serve right now: Thank you for the long
hours, the missed holidays, the missed family dinners, and for carrying
the burdens most Americans will never fully understand. Thank you for
your professionalism, your sacrifice, what you face on the streets
every day, and the disrespect you have to endure.
To the families who stand beside these heroes every day: We thank
you, all of you.
Mr. Speaker, especially during National Police Week, we remember that
duty and service are not without cost. We honor the sacrifice of those
officers. Their service will never be forgotten, and their legacy will
live on forever.
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Allen).
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the sheriff for yielding to me, and I
thank the sheriff for hosting tonight's Special Order. It is a
privilege to join the sheriff as we commemorate National Police Week
and honor the upstanding men and women who serve our Nation's law
enforcement.
When I travel to my district back in Georgia, I meet regularly with
our sheriffs and law enforcement officers as much as possible, and I am
constantly in awe of the courage, the selflessness, and the heroism
that they demonstrate every day for our communities.
Here in the Chamber, we are without excuse. We have right there above
the Speaker ``In God We Trust.'' We have Moses, the full face of Moses,
who gave us the law.
The Apostle Paul penned it as well as anyone can. In fact, basically,
God ordained government to restrain evil. That was the sole purpose.
In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul said:
``Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is
no authority except that which God has established. The authorities
that exist have been established by God.
``Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling
against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves.
``For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who
do wrong.
[[Page H3519]]
``Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority?
``Then do what is right and you will be commended.
``For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you
do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.
They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the
wrongdoer.
``Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only
because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.''
I am going to tell you, Mr. Speaker, this was drilled into me by my
parents. One of the things that is really disturbing in our culture
today is the disrespect for authority in our Nation, but I tell our
police officers about Romans 13. It is the highest calling in this land
to be called by God in authority to make sure that folks are safe and
secure.
On a daily basis, these officers choose to prioritize the safety of
others above their own.
Georgia's 12th District felt this ultimate sacrifice firsthand when
one of our own, Deputy Brandon Sikes of Columbia, lost his life in the
line of duty last April.
As the family and our community continue to mourn this tragic loss,
we are reminded of his extraordinary service, and we find solace in
Scripture.
John 15:13 says: ``Greater love has no one than this, that someone
lay down his life for his friends.''
That is, again, a high calling. We will never forget Deputy Brandon
Sikes.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the officers serving in Georgia's
12th Congressional District and across the State of Georgia and
throughout our country, including our own Capitol Police officers here
in the Capitol who work every day to keep us safe.
I am proud to unequivocally stand with the men and women in blue and
will continue to support their mission now and always.
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona
(Mr. Gosar), who is a great supporter of our law enforcement officers
across the country.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rutherford for putting this
on with due respect for the men and women in blue.
During National Police Week, I rise to honor the brave law
enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting you,
our communities, and defending the rule of law.
This year, 363 American law enforcement heroes are being honored at
the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Among them are two
courageous Arizona officers, Officer Gabriel Facio of the Apache
Junction Police Department and Deputy Shawn Braaten of the Maricopa
County Sheriff's Office. These heroes wore the badge with honor and
gave their lives in service to others.
At a time when politicians on the left and radical activists continue
pushing soft-on-crime policies and demonizing police officers, we must
be crystal clear: America is safer because of our law enforcement.
The anti-police rhetoric coming from the left has emboldened
criminals, weakened public safety, and made an already dangerous
profession even harder.
I unapologetically stand with the men and women in blue. I stand with
the officers who run toward danger while others run away.
I stand with the deputies patrolling our neighborhoods, the border
agents defending our sovereignty, and every law enforcement officer who
risks their life to protect innocent Americans.
To the families of Officer Facio, Deputy Braaten, and all our fallen
officers across our Nation, we will never forget their sacrifice. Their
courage and service represent the very best in America. That is all you
can ask.
May God bless our fallen heroes and their families, and may God bless
the United States of America.
{time} 1900
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Suozzi), a great champion of law enforcement and our great
country.
Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen Gottheimer and
Rutherford, two great friends. I really admire the bipartisan work that
both of them have done in the Law Enforcement Caucus. It really means a
great deal to all of us that they work together with such close
collaboration. It is really a great honor for me to join with them this
evening.
Tonight, we recognize police officers who lost their lives throughout
2025 throughout our country, over 360 police officers, 13 of whom we
lost in New York State, 11 of those 13 died from 9/11-related injuries
and sicknesses, 1 was killed in a shooting, and another died of a heart
attack after a physical altercation.
I served as the mayor of a small city and oversaw the police
department, and I served as a county executive of a large county and
oversaw the 12th largest police department in the United States of
America.
It pains me when I hear people criticize the police. People need to
recognize that tonight, here in our Nation's Capitol, we honor law
enforcement officials, police officers who lost their lives in the line
of duty, sometimes in very tragic circumstances that left behind
families who were shattered.
We also have to recognize that, every single day, police officers go
to work. Sometimes, their jobs are very boring. They could go on a
regular patrol. They walk a beat. They drive their car. The day goes by
without incident. Then, without notice, they are called to an incident
where they could lose their life in a shooting, breaking up a crime, or
in a fire.
Other times, they deliver miracles to people's lives when they stop a
crime, when they deliver a baby, or when they respond to a fire. Some
days, it is very mundane: people ask you for directions, you say hello
to folks that you see on a regular basis, or you do investigations.
Other times, it is 9/11, and you are put in harm's way that will
challenge you for decades and decades after that incident.
I join my colleagues here tonight, Democrats and Republicans, to come
together to say to our police officers in our Nation and in my Third
Congressional District in New York: Thank you for your service. We
honor you. We respect you. We recognize how difficult your jobs are. We
recognize that sometimes people don't treat you with the respect that
you deserve, but we respect you, admire you, and are grateful to you
for the sacrifice that you have made on our behalf so that we can live
with some sense of safety because of the safety that you provide to us.
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New
York (Ms. Gillen), someone who has been an avid champion of law
enforcement. Like Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Gillen has been a great friend of
those in blue.
Ms. GILLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave law
enforcement officers on Long Island and across our Nation who we have
lost and the men and women who continue to serve and protect.
I thank my colleagues on the bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus,
Representatives Rutherford and Gottheimer, for organizing this Special
Order hour during National Police Week to remember these heroes.
Madam Speaker, every day, our law enforcement officers put their
lives on the line to keep our communities safe. They do so not knowing
if they will return home safely to their loved ones.
During National Police Week, we thank and honor the law enforcement
officers who gave their lives to protect all of us.
This month, I had the privilege to join my colleagues to lay a wreath
at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and honor 363
officers who we lost this year. It is our solemn duty to ensure that
their sacrifice and contributions are never forgotten.
Among the American heroes we lost last year was Police Detective
Patrick Franzone of the Freeport Police Department from New York's
Fourth Congressional District.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Freeport, Detective
Franzone's life was defined by service to his fellow Americans and to
his community. He served in law enforcement for more than 30 years and
shared his devotion to the Freeport families outside of work as the
chairman of Toys for Tots.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attack, Detective Franzone bravely
assisted with the search and recovery at Ground Zero as a first
responder.
On September 18, 2025, he tragically passed away from a 9/11 cancer
that
[[Page H3520]]
was associated with his heroic work in the rubble. His passing is a
painful reminder of what our first responders' contributions can cost.
Detective Franzone was a friend to all who knew him, a devoted
father, and a true American hero. We will never forget his service to
fellow New Yorkers and to our great Nation, and we will ensure that his
legacy lives on.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me for a moment in
remembering Detective Patrick William Franzone of Freeport, New York.
Thousands of our heroic law enforcement officers, firefighters, and
emergency personnel continue to suffer from debilitating conditions
from toxins at Ground Zero. That is why I was proud to help advocate
for bipartisan legislation to permanently fund the World Trade Center
Health Program. I will continue to fight alongside my colleagues here
today to make sure our law enforcement has the resources they need to
keep their communities safe and to keep themselves safe. Whether it is
more crime-fighting technology, COPS hiring grants, or funding for
improved access to mental health care, something that I care deeply
about. I am proud to have introduced peer-to-peer support, advocacy,
and counseling through my bipartisan bill introduced with Congressman
Rutherford just this week.
We must always have the backs of our law enforcement. Our families
can sleep knowing that the brave men and women in uniform are
protecting them, watching our streets, and safeguarding our
communities.
Madam Speaker, I thank each and every one of our law enforcement
officers on Long Island and across our country. We owe them an
incredible debt of gratitude.
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah
(Mr. Kennedy), a true supporter and backer of our law enforcement
officers across the country.
Mr. KENNEDY of Utah. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Gottheimer
and Officer Rutherford for organizing this Special Order hour. It is a
reflection of the good things that happen here in Congress, Madam
Speaker, the fact that Mr. Gottheimer can be here on the Republican
side of the aisle, acknowledging something significant. The fact that
we as Republicans and Democrats can stand united behind the thin blue
line between order and chaos, and sometimes between life and death. I
am honored to join this distinguished group of people who recognize the
significance of National Police Week, which is what we are doing this
week.
In memory of those who have given their lives--which I will review in
my prepared notes in a moment regarding that--we can't forget that we
must remember those who continue to live in the service of our country
in the form of what Representative Gillen just talked about. There are
a variety of toxic exposures, as well as mental health challenges, that
come along with the job associated with the chaos that sometimes our
law enforcement officers have to deal with.
I want to point out, as well, that, in Congress, there is a great
deal of attention paid to the dysfunction, disagreements, arguments,
and outright vigorous vitriol that goes back and forth between us.
There is far more that unites us, as reflected by Congressman
Rutherford and Congressman Gottheimer as they organized this. We can
unite together to honor our police officers who do a great service for
our society.
We need to honor these men and women in law enforcement who serve our
communities with courage, integrity, and sacrifice day in and day out.
Two hundred fifty years of American liberty have taught us that law and
order is essential to a free society. Without order, our freedoms
cannot survive. Our freedoms only hold because good men and women are
willing to back them up--sometimes with their lives.
{time} 1910
This week, I and the people in the State of Utah especially remember
Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada of the Tremonton-Garland
Police Department who gave their lives last August as they answered an
average call for help from a citizen who ultimately, they gave their
lives to try to respond to and help.
In Congress, I and many others will remain committed to backing our
blue, the officers who need resources, support, and respect as they do
their jobs.
To every officer in Utah and across this country, I thank them for
keeping us safe. I am deeply grateful for all they do.
Madam Speaker, I will conclude by saying, I don't believe that there
is going to be a lot of attention given by the media to what is
happening right now. We need our country to recognize that there is a
lot more good that is happening in Congress. Even though we have our
disagreements, we find far more that unites us and that we can work
together on than those things that will divide us and cause us to be
media clowns and have the circus of Congress be demonstrated on a
regular basis.
I am proud to join with these great people to recognize something
that is functioning well, and that is our law enforcement throughout
the country and the fact that we can all unite together to acknowledge
that great service.
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, I think Congressman Kennedy said it
best.
Congressman Rutherford and I just leaned over to each other after
what you just said, Congressman Kennedy, and said: That is exactly
right. There is far more that unites us as a country than divides us.
We spend far too much time in this Chamber and outside of this Chamber
tweeting, screaming, and yelling instead of focused on getting things
done for the American people and thanking those who serve our great
country.
That is what this week is about, Police Week, to thank those who are
continuing to get up every day to protect us and to remember those who
made the ultimate sacrifice protecting us and serving us. We should
honor them, as we should honor all of those shoulders we stand on, by
actually doing right by them, by investing in them, by supporting their
families, by making sure that officers who are out there today on the
front lines looking out for us have what they need to keep themselves
safe and to keep our communities safe.
There should be no fights about that or disagreements about that and
no questions about whether we are going to fund law enforcement or not.
Those should not be even issues of debate. It should just be about
doing the right thing by people, by those who protect us, by those who
serve us, people like Sheriff Rutherford who, before he was in this
Chamber, served us in Florida, and looked out for families. That is the
kind of service we should recognize.
What Congressman Kennedy said is exactly right. We should look out
for each other. We should stand together. It should not be a thing that
we are on this side of the aisle, because that is irrelevant.
We stand in a Chamber with a flag behind the Speaker that we salute
every day and that we pledge our allegiance to every day, as we should.
To me, there is so much to be proud of for living in this great
country, the greatest country the world has ever known. There is so
much to be grateful for as an American.
The reason we have this safety, because this blanket of safety is
provided by others, those who serve on the front lines, our servicemen
and -women and those who are here at home, law enforcement, looking out
for us. They do it knowing the risks they take, the sacrifices they
make, and what could ultimately happen to them and to their families if
they make that ultimate sacrifice, which so many have.
We remember them. We honor them. I hope that we take their falling as
a call to action for all of us in this Chamber to protect all law
enforcement, to invest in them, and to remember that this should not be
a partisan political issue whether we stand by our law enforcement or
not. That should not be a fight we should ever have. The question just
should be how much should we invest to keep them safe and to keep our
country safe.
With that, I thank the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, a
great man and a great friend, Sheriff and Congressman John
Rutherford.
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank Josh.
Madam Speaker, as we come together this year to celebrate the lives
of 111
[[Page H3521]]
officers who paid that ultimate sacrifice, that full last measure in
service to their communities, I think it is very appropriate that we
come together, not as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans
to recognize those men and women.
I can tell you that for the 41 years that I served as a law
enforcement officer, I didn't serve Democrats and Republicans. I served
the public. Still today, in Congress, I serve Americans, not just
Republicans and Democrats.
I think it is important that we do change the tenor. This is a great
opportunity to get that message out as we celebrate the lives of men
and women who gave that last full measure of devotion.
For many years, I talked about law enforcement being a noble
profession, not because it was just about service, but because it was
truly about service with self-sacrifice. That is what we celebrate this
National Police Week.
I thank my good friend from New Jersey for being here and helping to
put this together. I look forward to our continued collaboration on
issues that are important to law enforcement and our communities.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________