[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 363]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Reichert) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today is National Law Enforcement 
Appreciation Day.
  Behind me are the faces of 135 men and women. They are the faces of 
those who paid the ultimate price serving and protecting us this past 
year so that our families and our children can live safe and enjoy our 
freedom. As you can see, freedom isn't free.
  You may not know or recognize these faces, but you know the faces of 
others who have served or that are serving today. They are the faces of 
our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and friends. Some were 
ambushed and executed. Some lost their lives responding to a call to 
save a life, someone who called for help.
  Tacoma police officer Jake Gutierrez, from my home State of 
Washington, is one of the faces behind me. He lost his life in the line 
of duty just last month while trying to protect a woman from domestic 
violence.
  Jake was supposed to have exchanged wedding vows with his fiancee in 
just a few weeks. Instead, she and his three daughters and 
granddaughter attended his funeral and tried to picture a life without 
Jake.
  Tragically, again last month, a time meant for celebration was filled 
with another Washington family's sorrow. Veteran officer Mike 
McClaughry from the Mount Vernon Police Department was shot in the head 
while responding to a call for help. Today his children, wife, friends, 
and family sit by his hospital bed and his life now hangs in the 
balance in the hands of God and his doctors.
  This feeling of loss is one that I am also familiar with. In 1982, my 
partner and best friend, Sergeant Sam Hicks, was shot to death 
attempting to arrest a murder suspect. He left behind his wife and five 
sons. That was over 30 years ago, but the loss of a loved one is a pain 
that cannot be forgotten, cannot be erased.
  This national day of appreciation is not only a day to reflect and 
appreciate the service of those who have served, but those that are 
serving today. They are driving, walking, patrolling your 
neighborhoods, keeping us safe. They are ready to put their lives on 
the line, yes, but every day they do so much more for us that goes 
unnoticed:
  The officer that took the stolen bike report on Christmas Day and the 
next day delivered a new bicycle to that little boy's home;
  How about the officer who anonymously buys groceries for a needy 
family;
  The officer who counseled a little girl who was being bullied because 
of the clothes she wore and then bought her a new set of clothes;
  How about the officer who went to a call where he had to cradle a 2-
month-old baby in his arms, giving CPR to his little, fragile blue 
face, hoping for the best news, fearing the worst--and getting the 
worst--and then headed off to his next call;
  The officer that held the hand of a dying man after a motorcycle 
accident and then sharing his last words with his family;
  The officer who was spit on, ridiculed, and insulted by a man 
threatening to kill the officer and his wife and then minutes later 
saving that same man from taking his own life with a butcher knife.
  These men and women are coaches, volunteers, and mentors, helping 
people find jobs, feeding the homeless, helping them find homes, and 
sometimes even taking them into their own homes. These are real people. 
They are your neighbors, they are your friends, and they are us. This 
is not a job for them. It is a calling. They serve because they want to 
help. They want to make a difference. They serve with the heart of a 
servant.
  On this day, let us take a moment to appreciate all members of the 
law enforcement community across this Nation and their families by 
putting a blue light in your window or on your front porch. This is not 
just a sign of appreciation for law enforcement across this country, 
but a sign, a small symbol of unity for us all. We need that now in our 
Nation more than anything. Help us remember that we are one nation 
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
  Most people don't know, but I am a big James Brown fan and I really 
like the way he puts it in a not so well-known song from the sixties 
about America. He says:

       America is the greatest country in the world. America is 
     the greatest country in the world . . . Now Black and White 
     they may fight, but when the enemy comes, we get together and 
     we run `em out of sight.

  This is a Black man in the sixties with these positive words about 
our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I say this: That we take James Brown's words, we take 
his advice, and we get together. The enemy is here. That enemy is hate. 
We get together and we run them out of sight.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I would like to observe a moment of silence, 
please, for two officers who were killed in Florida just today on 
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. These are two more officers 
killed today, just hours ago.

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