Supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives will overwhelmingly support H. Res. 266, a resolution that pays tribute to Peace Officers Memorial Day, which took place yesterday. This is a special day to honor those law enforcement officers who have fallen or become disabled in the line of duty. As a former officer with the Michigan State Police and Escanaba City Police Department as well as founder and co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, I am a proud cosponsor of this Resolution and want to thank my colleague Representative Hefley for introducing it once again this year.

The House will also overwhelmingly support H.R. 2107, a bill that requires the maintenance of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC and provides for the addition of the names of those in law enforcement who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Last Friday at the 17th Annual Candlelight Vigil, more than 20,000 family members, law enforcement officers, and friends of law enforcement gathered at this Memorial to respect, honor, and remember the 153 law enforcement heroes who in 2004 made the ultimate sacrifice.

Since September 11, 2001, many in this nation and this Congress have come to recognize the importance of the sacrifices made by our law enforcement officers. Every day these men and women protect and serve, often putting their own lives at risk.

Peace Officers Memorial Day brings us together to honor the sacrifice our nation's law enforcement and public safety officers make to our communities and our nation every day.

It is important as we discuss and pass both H. Res. 266 and H.R. 2107 that we must also resolve to provide our public safety officers the resources they need to meet the daily challenges of their jobs-- especially at a time when we have placed greater demands on them to fight and prevent terrorist threats. We can do that by fully funding important grant programs such as COPS, Byrne, and Local Law Enforcement Block Grants.

These programs allow our local agencies to buy essential protective gear, hire the officers that they need, and obtain all the resources they must have to make themselves and our communities safe.

Congress can provide these resources through grants, especially the Community Oriented Policing Services or ``COPS'' program. This program was so successful that it helped to put 100,000 cops on the street under President Clinton. It is critical that Congress fully fund this program!

Unfortunately, the President's budget devastates the COPS program, requesting only $117.8 million for this important program. That is a $381.2 million cut below last year's level!

The President's budget also zeroes out the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant program that provides funding for 19 different programs for counter-drug initiatives in rural communities. These grants are used to administer vital programs such as multi- jurisdictional drug enforcement teams, anti-drug education programs, treatment programs and alternative sentencing initiatives.

If enacted, the President's budget cuts will have far reaching effects on our local communities. Local drug enforcement teams are crucial to keeping our communities drug free. If Byrne Grants are zeroed out they will be unable to hire the officers they need to sustain their drug enforcement teams.

And let me tell you--when it comes to drug abuse, no community--urban or rural--is immune to this problem. To highlight how important these local teams are to our rural districts, take a look at this article from a local paper in

my First Congressional District of Michigan. On April 13th the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team seized 3,000 Oxycontin tablets from a home in the rural county of Presque Isle. This is just one example of the critical work these Narcotics Teams do everyday to keep our communities safe.

This Country's Drug problems are not going away. In fact, with the emergence of prescription drugs used and dealt illegally like Oxycontin, some would argue the problems are getting worse. My question is why are we zeroing out the funding that enables programs like the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team to exist and combat this problem that is only growing more severe?

We also need to provide assistance to help regional law enforcement and first responders talk to each other in times of emergency. My bill, H.R. 1323 ``The Public Safety Interoperability Implementation Act'', would provide grants to local law enforcement agencies to modernize their communication systems and become interoperable. These are the kinds of resources and tools I'm talking about!! We need to do everything possible to ensure that our law enforcement officers are fully interoperable.

Currently, firefighters and law enforcement officials may not be able to communicate with each other even if they work in the same jurisdiction. The tragic events of September 11th illustrated why it is so important that our law enforcement officials are fully interoperable. 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers lost their lives in the WorId Trade Center on September 11th. 121 of these brave firefighters lost their lives due to fact that they were unable to talk to each other.

When our first responders are confronted with an emergency situation, it is absolutely necessary that they are able to communicate with one another so they can fully assess the situation and how best to handle it. These are the kind of resources and tools our first responders need. We need to do everything possible to ensure that our law enforcement officers that play an integral role in our nations anti- terrorism efforts are fully interoperable.

We also need to ensure that programs like Thin Blue Line are fully funded. The Thin Blue Line is a non-profit, volunteer organization that assists and supports the families of injured or deceased officers of law enforcement agencies. Thin Blue Line began in Michigan and is now beginning to expand throughout the nation. Thin Blue Line volunteers assist families with applying for benefits, counseling, and answering their question during the most difficult of circumstances. These officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and their families deserve to be honored, respected, and supported any way we can.

I am hopeful that we can continue to show our commitment to law enforcement by supporting their important funding needs as well as supporting these important pieces of legislation. It is the least we can do for those who put their lives on the line for us everyday.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 266) supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in support of House Resolution 266 that supports the goals and the ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

This occasion is a day of remembrance of all Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials who were killed or disabled in the line of duty during the past year.

Peace Officers Memorial Day highlights National Police Week, which is observed with several events in Washington this week, from May 15 through May 21. More than 20,000 peace officers and their families are expected to congregate here in the Nation's Capital for National Police Week 2005.

Mr. Speaker, on October 1, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed into law legislation that designates both May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week containing May 15 as National Police Officers Week.

However, the first National Peace Officers Memorial Day service was not officially held until May 15, 1982, and since then May 15 has indeed been a solemn date on the law enforcement calendar.

In addition to the focus of the observance here in Washington, National Police Week is also recognized by police officers across the country. And since we all witnessed police officers' indescribable bravery on September 11, 2001, Americans have intensified their appreciation for the men and women of our Nation's law enforcement.

These courageous individuals are the essential parts of our entire homeland security effort. They deserve to be thanked by each and every one of us for the protection that they provide and for the freedom that they ensure.

Peace officers are true American heroes. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), a great friend of law enforcement, for sponsoring House Resolution 266.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that all of my colleagues will join the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and myself in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge all Members to support the adoption of House Resolution 266.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 266, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Police officers make extraordinary sacrifices in fulfilling their mission to serve and protect, and I am pleased to join my colleagues in saying thank you to Peace Officers Memorial Day. I am privileged to know many fine police officers including my Uncle Les, a dedicated and long time officer with the Chicago Police Department.

The heroism of our nation's police officers can be seen both in their responses to emergencies and in their everyday work serving our neighborhoods. In Chicago, the fine work done by the police department has reduced crime in almost every category in the past year, bringing serious crimes to a 13 year low and homicides to a historic 38 year low.

Police departments across the country continue to play an important role in building and maintaining stable, safe communities. The Chicago Police Department assists with community policing programs and plays an important role in youth counseling and recreation programs to help at- risk teenagers reach their full potential as contributing members of society.

In 2004, 153 peace officers nationwide gave their lives in the protection of our families and communities. The death of any police officer is a tragedy and a loss felt deeply in our communities. I join with my colleagues in honoring the memory and sacrifices of these heroes, and I applaud the continued service of law enforcement officers and all public safety workers who face danger every day while protecting our streets, our schools, and our communities.

Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to support our nation's law enforcement officers and supply them with the tools and resources they need to ensure their safety and ours. I am proud to join my colleagues today in honoring the contributions of our nation's peace officers, and I ask that my colleagues join me in working to provide sufficient support to the 87,000 heroes who make up our nation's local law enforcement community.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, each day peace officers nobly protect our families, friends, and neighbors from crime. Peace officers work to improve the quality of life for all of us. For that, they deserve our sincere appreciation and respect.

While it is impossible to suitably thank these brave Americans for the tremendous sacrifices they make, we pause this week to salute them for their courage, dedication and service, and to pay our respects for those who have fallen in the line of duty.

Currently, more than 850,000 men and women guard our communities, and do so at great risk. Each year in the United States, one in 15 officers is assaulted, one in 46 officers is injured, and one in every 5,255 officers is killed in the line of duty. In total, more than 17,500 men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice.

In 2004, 154 law enforcement officers died while serving in the line of duty, well below the decade-long average of 169 deaths annually, and well below the 2001 total of 237.

A number of factors have contributed to this reduction, including better equipment, increased use of bullet-resistant vests, improved training, and advanced emergency medical care.

But the work of peace officers continues to take the lives of too many men and women who work to ensure our safety. So far this year, 42 peace officers have been killed in the line of duty.

Mr. Speaker, I support the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor Federal, State, and local peace officers killed or disabled in the line of duty; and I call upon the people of the United States to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and respect.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a supporter of H. Res. 266, which supports the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. I want to thank Mr. Hefley for introducing this necessary recognition of our peace officers and the sacrifice they make everyday for Americans. I hope everyone in this Nation will take the time to observe Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor Federal, State, and local peace officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Today, more than 870,000 law enforcement personnel, the highest amount ever in the United States, serve their fellow citizens as guardians of peace. Unfortunately, while these brave men and women seek to keep the peace they are too often taken by the violence they are working to prevent. Every year, a law enforcement officer is killed somewhere in the United States every 53 hours, and there are also 56,000 assaults against our law officers each year, resulting in 17,000 injuries. I want to take a moment to honor the law enforcement officers from the City of Houston who day in and day out work to keep my constituents safe. Last Friday on May 13, 2005, more than 20,000 peace officers gathered here in Washington, DC to join with the families of their recently fallen comrades to honor those comrades and all others who went before them. I wish to join them in this recognition of the brave and honorable law enforcement officers who served this Nation despite the danger.