Expressing support for local law enforcement officers and condemning efforts to defund local law enforcement agencies.

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

As a former prosecutor who handled cases in both Federal and State courts, I worked closely with many law enforcement officers on a day- to-day basis over many years, developing strong relationships with officers who put their lives on the line on a daily basis.

In fact, my record and relationships with officers are part of the reasons I have been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police every time I have run for office. That is why, in part, I regret having to rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 106.

Traditionally, National Police Week has been recognized as a solemn, unifying occasion. It is a time when Members can come together in a bipartisan fashion to recognize and honor the men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. However, instead of respecting the dignity of this week, some of my colleagues have decided to move forward with, frankly, political rhetoric in this resolution to satisfy partisan purposes.

This resolution amounts to a slap in the face of many Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us, as well. Among this resolution's flaws is it completely ignores Federal law enforcement officers who fight crime working infrequently with the local law enforcement officers whom we are discussing here today.

Many of them enforce our laws against human trafficking and drug trafficking, including the rapid rise of fentanyl, the massive flow of firearms, including ghost guns, that illegally enter our country and communities and endanger all of us.

To offer a resolution that fails to honor Federal law enforcement officers as well is just plain wrong.

I made this objection in the committee when we were having a hearing on a related bill a few weeks ago, so this shouldn't come as a surprise to my colleagues. However, in recent years, Republicans have consistently blamed the rise in violent crime on Democrats and attempted to pin the ``defend the police'' rhetoric on Democrats labeling Democrats as the party to defund the police.

Yet, a Republican colleague of ours introduced H.R. 374, the Abolish the ATF Act, a one-line bill that would do away with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He also threatened to ``defund,'' ``get rid of,'' or ``abolish'' other Federal agencies, including the FBI, CDC, and DOJ, ``if they do not come to heel.''

Another one of my Republican colleagues called for defunding the FBI, as well, and we have multiple Republican colleagues who have made similar kinds of calls to defund Federal law enforcement, even though I think all of us recognize how critical they are to protecting the United States and handling matters in conjunction with local law enforcement authorities or, in some instances, where local law enforcement authorities don't have the jurisdiction or the authority to handle a matter.

H. Con. Res. 106 endeavors to continue those efforts, unfortunately, repeating the verbatim attacks, as we heard just a moment ago, on Federal law enforcement and the Democrats, sentiments that were asserted in a different context in H. Con. Res. 40 last year, when the Democrats offered legislation for National Police Week.

This resolution claims that the defund the police movement vilifies and demonizes local law enforcement, putting them at greater risk of danger, while ignoring the Republicans' own efforts to defund law enforcement, whether by opposing grant funding that sometimes supports State and local agencies or by calling to abolish Federal agencies, as I just mentioned a moment ago.

We should be reminded that, through the American Rescue Plan, Democrats have provided the largest Federal investment in public safety in the Nation's history. $350 billion has allowed cities across the country to keep law enforcement officers on the beat and communities safer from violence. Police departments have used this funding to establish training facilities, hire more officers, and raise salaries.

Rather than playing at partisanship, like we are today, in the 117th Congress, House Democrats passed priority policing bills that extended death benefits to law enforcement officers with PTSD, provided funding to law enforcement and other first responders to improve interactions with civilians, authorized $300 million in grants for law enforcement agencies with fewer than 125 officers, made significant investments in deescalation training, and provided $100 million per year in grants to solve cold-case violent crimes, all over Republican objections.

More disappointingly, this resolution before us today continues the Republican record of devaluing the lives and contributions of the 137,000 Federal agents and officers serving in the 50 States and the District of Columbia, including the Capitol Police, who we all should recall protect us here on a daily basis.

Although H. Con. Res. 106 does not demonize specific Democratic Members or so-called leftist activists who support efforts to defund or reallocate funding for local law enforcement agencies, as H. Con. Res. 40 did last year, this resolution is similarly a missed opportunity to truly support law enforcement officers across the country and is designed, once again, to falsely paint Democrats as opponents of law enforcement.

Madam Speaker, it is for these reasons that I oppose H. Con. Res. 106, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Let's restore the dignity of Police Week by advancing truly bipartisan acclamations and support for law enforcement efforts.

Madam Speaker, in 2002, President George W. Bush proclaimed that Police Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to the local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. Since its inception, National Police Week has been meant to bring Members of Congress together, no matter their political affiliation, to acknowledge the contributions of all law enforcement professionals and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty.

Whether State, local, Tribal, or Federal, we are grateful for the service of all officers, agents, and support staff who work tirelessly to protect us and keep us safe. We should be able to make that clear today.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 106) expressing support for local law enforcement officers and condemning efforts to defund local law enforcement agencies.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extent their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 106.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from the great State of Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), who is a sponsor of the legislation).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, a little over a year ago, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave the response to President Biden's State of the Union Address. I thought she did a wonderful job, but the line that stuck out to me was, in the course of her remarks, she said that the divide in America today is normal versus crazy.

My colleagues can start thinking about some of the crazy policies that are advocated by the radical left. I mean, it is crazy not to have a border. It is crazy to think noncitizens should be able to vote in our Federal elections. It is crazy to think boys should compete against girls in sports.

How about this one: It is crazy, in my mind, to let a Chinese spy balloon fly clear across the country and then shoot it down. I don't know, but I think most people I represent would probably have shot it down before it went across the country.

Additionally, it is crazy to defund the police. Americans understand that instinctively, yet that is something that the left has advocated now for--what?--5 years. We should thank the numerous law enforcement officers who have come to Washington, D.C., for Police Week and all those across our great country. Every day, police officers put their lives on the line to safeguard our families and communities.

The left's defund the police movement continues to cause detrimental effects across our Nation, with attacks against police officers increasing and

becoming more brazen. We have all seen it. We saw it on the streets of New York City. We have all seen it happen, the harmful rhetoric that has demoralized our police officers and directly impacted their ability to maintain public safety.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are facing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified law enforcement officers. It is why I supported the bill that we just passed. The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) was right on that one.

This resolution is exactly what is needed. Congress must declare that we oppose the defund the police rhetoric. H. Con. Res. 106 seeks to correct these false and harmful narratives by explicitly condemning efforts to undermine law enforcement agencies.

This resolution acknowledges and expresses the gratitude of Congress for the dedication and commitment shown by the men and women of law enforcement. Law enforcement officers and their families serve and make sacrifices every single day for the good of our communities.

This resolution is rooted in commonsense, normal policy. I believe we can all agree that the defund the police movement was a disgrace, and our police officers deserve better.

Let's all work together, taking a stand against cutting our police department funding and calling for not abolishing the police but actually funding our law enforcement officers, again, in our municipalities, in our counties, and all over our country.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, my resolution expresses our support for the men and women who serve our communities in local law enforcement. These brave officers work tirelessly to protect and serve, putting their lives on the line regularly to uphold the rule of law.

As a former sheriff and a 42-year career law enforcement officer, I have seen what these men and women go through. I know the toll taken by the long hours, the sleepless nights, and the time spent away from family. I know what it is like to console the grieving families of victims after horrendous crimes and tragic accidents. I have seen things most Americans will, thankfully, never have to experience.

When others run away, our law enforcement officers are trained to run toward danger, to fight crime, and to protect the innocent. Far too often they don't make it back. Mississippi has not been spared from these tragedies.

In December of 2022, Bay St. Louis Police Sergeant Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe were shot and killed while conducting a welfare check on a woman and a child sitting in a parked vehicle. Last June, Madison Police Officer Randy Tyler was shot and killed while responding to a hostage situation.

Moreover, this January, George County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Malone was shot and killed during a traffic stop on a rural highway.

These men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice represent the best of our State and our Nation. Fallen heroes like these officers are being honored this week during National Police Week.

Madam Speaker, there is no better time for us to pass this resolution and make it clear we stand with law enforcement than this week, while thousands of local law enforcement officers and their families are gathering here in our Nation's Capital.

My resolution does just that. It expresses our gratitude for the selfless service of local law enforcement and the importance of a healthy relationship between law enforcement and the communities they protect.

It also condemns attempts to undermine that relationship through rhetoric about defunding and abolishing the police. These narratives demonize local law enforcement officers and encourage hostility toward law enforcement. Ultimately, they put both officers and the general public at greater risk.

We have seen targeted, ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers, including one as recently as this Sunday. Agencies across the country are struggling to hire and keep talented officers as they are vilified for deciding to serve their communities.

At the same time, we have seen disturbing increases in crime, especially in cities like Washington, D.C., and Americans' fear of crime is at its highest level in 30 years.

Madam Speaker, it is time for this body to lead. It is time for us to make it abundantly clear that we stand with our law enforcement against lawlessness. It is time for a strong, bipartisan majority to say, once again, that we will not defund, disband, dismantle, or abolish the police.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H. Res. 1213, ``A resolution regarding violence against law enforcement officers''.

Sadly, H. Res. 1213 is another hypocritical, partisan attack cloaked behind a message honoring local law enforcement during National Police Week.

The resolution is full of misinformation, baseless and dangerous claims, and political rhetoric that overwhelms its intended purpose and has no place in what should be an opportunity to bring Congress together in solemn reflection.

My Republican colleagues have consistently tried to blame the rise in violent crime on Democrats and locally-elected District Attorneys and with this resolution have attempted once again to label Democrats as the party of ``defund the police.''

The resolution asserts without evidence that calls to defund the police are tied to an increase in violence against law enforcement officers and further implies that locally adopted progressive criminal justice reform policies have contributed to the ``negative environment'' in which law enforcement officers work.

The Resolution fails to acknowledge that the number of officers killed in the line of duty decreased substantially each year from 586 in 2021 to 137 in 2023.

The resolution advances baseless political attacks against policies aimed at addressing decades of mass incarceration and overcriminalization, attempting to link policies such as decreased criminal penalties and no-cash bail systems with an increase in aggression and violence toward law enforcement.

The Resolution claims that House members are responsible for exemplifying a respect for the rule of law and for law enforcement but overlooks hypocritical anti-police Republican actions:

The failure of Republicans to unanimously vote to award the Congressional Gold Medal to all police officers who responded to the violent January 6th attack on the Capitol and efforts like H. Con. Res. 106 to marginalize federal law enforcement officers.

Republican efforts to defund law enforcement, whether by opposing grant funding that supports state and local agencies, or by calling to abolish federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

For these reasons I must oppose this fatally flawed resolution--and yet another missed opportunity to support and honor law enforcement personnel across the country and those who lost their lives in the line of duty, without engaging in partisanship on this solemn occasion.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on H. Con. Res. 106, ``Expressing support for local law enforcement officers and condemning efforts to defend local law enforcement agencies.''

It is unfortunate that H. Con. Res. 106 is simply another hypocritical, partisan attack cloaked behind a message honoring local law enforcement during National Police Week.

During a time when we are coming together and supporting law enforcement, my Republican colleagues continue to offer divisive political talking points and largely meaningless bills that will neither protect law enforcement nor enhance public safety.

It is further disappointing and disingenuous that Republicans have consistently blamed the rise in violent crime on Democrats and have attempted to pin the ``defund the police'' rhetoric on Democrats-- labeling Democrats as the party of ``defund the police.''

This bill put forth by Republican colleagues, H. Con. Res. 106, endeavors to continue those efforts--repeating almost verbatim-- sentiments asserted in H. Con. Res. 40, which was introduced during National Police Week last year.

Through the American Rescue Plan, Democrats have provided $350 billion to the states that would allow our cities to keep law enforcement on the beat and communities safe from violence, the largest Federal investment in public safety in our history.

Police departments used that funding to establish training facilities, hire more officers, and raise salaries.

In the 117th Congress, House Democrats showed their support for law enforcement and the needs faced by departments across the country by passing priority policing bills--including:

Extending death benefits to law enforcement officers with PTSD;

Providing funding to law enforcement and other first responders for interacting with people with TBIs and PTSD;

Authorizing $300 million in grants for law enforcement agencies with fewer than 125 officers;

Making significant investments in de-escalation training; and

Providing $100 million per year in grants to solve cold-case violent crimes--all over Republican objections.

Sadly, however, this resolution is another missed opportunity to support and honor law enforcement officers across the country, without engaging in nonsensical and damaging partisanship.