[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8044]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THANK YOU, LAW ENFORCEMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
praise law enforcement across the Nation and the State of Missouri for 
their dedication, courage, and sacrifice in serving our communities.
  This week is National Police Week. We should thank police every week, 
but this time of year provides a special opportunity to give honor 
where honor is due. Law enforcement officers deserve our deep 
appreciation and respect.
  Police officers do an excellent job protecting the residents of my 
district, from Columbia to Waynesville, to Warrensburg and throughout 
Missouri. They stand ready to help wherever needed. That is why, today, 
I am introducing the Police Officers Protecting Children Act. This bill 
would allow schools that want to allow retired or off-duty law 
enforcement officers to be armed as a security measure to protect 
children in our schools. If a school wants to allow off-duty or retired 
police to protect their students, the Federal Government shouldn't stop 
them.
  The Police Officers Protecting Children Act is even more important 
for schools in our rural communities where law enforcement may take a 
significant amount of time to respond to an emergency. A well-placed 
retired or off-duty officer could save lives.
  Law enforcement in my district have shown their support for this bill 
because they know firsthand that police officers have the training and 
experience to protect our children when it counts. They have the trust 
of our communities and have years of experience carrying a weapon. I 
thank them for their service and their willingness to protect our 
children while they are at school.
  Law enforcement officers live out the honorable duo of bravery and 
service. They put their lives on the line every day to protect our 
communities, often without the thanks they deserve. They work day in 
and day out patrolling our neighborhoods, getting drugs off the 
streets, and protecting us from criminals who seek to do us harm.
  In Missouri, we honor the brave men and women who carry the badge as 
police officers. This National Police Week, I am glad to recognize 
those officers and their bravery and service protecting the people of 
Missouri.
  So to the police around the Nation and in my home State of Missouri, 
I say to you: Thank you for your service. You make a difference every 
day, and we are so grateful for you.

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