[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7915]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING PETER CYBULSKI AND HAMEED ARMANI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Zeldin) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, many Americans, when faced with that split-
second decision to act in a crisis with selfless valor, or to flee, 
answer the call of duty in service to their fellow man.
  In June 2016, NYPD Officers Peter Cybulski and Hameed Armani, both of 
whom I had the privilege to meet last month, were on patrol in Times 
Square when a suspected bomb was thrown into their vehicle. Rather than 
vacating their vehicle in place, these officers selflessly drove their 
car one-and-a-half blocks away from the public in a crowded Times 
Square.
  In that moment, when others might have simply fled the scene to save 
their own lives, Officers Cybulski and Armani were prepared to 
sacrifice everything to save the people they were sworn to protect. 
This selfless act of bravery is just one of so many acts of heroism by 
our police officers every single day.
  This week is National Police Week, where we honor our members of law 
enforcement and remember the sacrifices of those who have lost their 
lives in the line of duty. The brave men and women protecting our 
communities deserve recognition for their selfless acts of courage and 
commitment to serving our Union.
  This special week began in 1962, when President John F. Kennedy 
signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers 
Memorial Day. Every year, the week on which that date falls is 
designated as National Police Week. Since then, thousands of our 
officers and their families from all across our great Nation come to 
Washington, D.C., during this week to be recognized for their selfless 
duty and to honor those who have fallen in service to their community.
  I have always believed that our Nation has a perennial obligation to 
provide our police officers with every ounce of support that we have to 
offer. These heroes deserve to know that the people of this Nation, for 
whom they have given so much, are forever grateful. It really is the 
least that we can do for these brave men and women.
  As a Member of Congress, I have committed myself to ensuring law 
enforcement is given all of the support necessary, and more, to carry 
out their selfless mission. Last year, around this time, we passed five 
key pieces of legislation which both honor our police and ensure those 
still serving possess the tools and equipment needed to carry out this 
responsibility.
  Some of these bills included the Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2016, the 
Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act, and the 
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program and Reauthorization Act. And 
again this year, this week, we are doing the same: passing legislation 
to protect our law enforcement who sacrifice so much to protect us.
  In recent years, our Nation has become fractured, and our police have 
been subject to acts of violence and hatred. It is more important now 
than ever before that law enforcement receives our unwavering 
appreciation, support, and respect. Courage, leadership, and a 
commitment to service, these are the qualities embedded within our 
members of law enforcement, the traits by which they uphold deeply with 
dignity and honor.
  This week, and every week, it is so important to honor those who have 
put themselves into harm's way to protect us, our families, and our 
communities. Their sacrifices will, and should, be revered for 
generations to come.

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