Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2023

Madam Speaker, I appreciate this time as we have our bipartisan Special Order hour to honor law enforcement officers all across America to talk about our back the blue.

This evening, as we begin, I am joined by so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who truly do support our law enforcement community. We are here to celebrate the lives and also honor the deaths of many of these officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Madam Speaker, as a career law enforcement officer, I know what our officers go through every day when they put on their uniforms, say good-bye to their families, and head out to do the important work of protecting their communities. They step into that breach between the good citizens that they have sworn to protect and that criminal element out there that would do them harm.

Unfortunately, over the last few years, we have seen an uptick in violence specifically directed at law enforcement officers, especially in the form of ambush-style attacks. These violent attacks have been fueled by antipolice rhetoric, which has left our officers demoralized and delegitimized.

In fact, according to the National Fraternal Order of Police, just this year, just in 2023 so far, 135 officers have been shot, 15 of those killed by gunfire. The number of officers shot in the line of duty is up 52 percent from this time 3 years ago.

Madam Speaker, there have been 38 ambush-style attacks on police officers, 38. In these attacks, 43 police officers have been shot. This country cannot tolerate this violence. We must respond with action to prevent further attacks against our police officers. I am grateful for my bipartisan colleagues who join me on this floor this evening to send a message that we have the backs of those officers who serve our communities.

This Congress, I am proud to have reintroduced three bipartisan bills to further support our law enforcement officers: The Invest to Protect Act, which will make critical investments in small police departments with fewer than 200 officers to help them with recruitment, retention, mental health support for their officers, and officer training. The Protect and Serve Act, which creates enhanced Federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target law enforcement officers in the line of duty. So if you target the police, Congress is going to target you. Then finally, the HELPER Act, which will help our law enforcement officers and other first responders buy homes within the community that they serve.

I am going to continue to advocate for legislation that supports and equips our men and women in blue. While we continue to work to support officers still on the job, we must also remember those who have laid down their lives in service to their communities.

Last week, I had the honor of commemorating Florida's fallen officers, including two in my own district. Paul Matthew Patrick was an Atlantic Beach police officer whose watch ended on September 12. He is a legacy. He died in 1932. Coby Brandon Seckinger is a St. Johns County deputy whose watch ended on December 14 of 2020.

Madam Speaker, it is vital that we never forget those who choose to walk out that door each day and face an unknown danger so that we don't have to. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: ``The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.''

This week we remember their sacrifice and use it as an inspiration to better support law enforcement officers across this Nation. I pray each and every person across America would live the rest of our lives worthy of their sacrifice.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), my good friend across the aisle, who is also co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus. I thank him for being here, and he knows about service. He has served in the Army, and he is now serving on the Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Speaker, although the gentleman and I may not agree on everything, we do agree on the Law Enforcement Equity Act. As a cosponsor, I hope we can get that over the line. I think that would do a great service to our law enforcement communities out there.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon). He is a retired U.S. Air Force general who knows all about service above self. He is also, I should say, one of the original cosponsors of the LEOSA Reform Act, which is certainly going to help law enforcement officers all across America.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), my good friend.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for coming with us and joining on law enforcement issues. He is one of the hardest workers across the aisle I know. I can't tell him how much I appreciate his friendship.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson), who also knows about service above self. He is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel, and I thank him for his service.

Madam Speaker, those are true words from the heart.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) again for an introduction.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the comments tonight. I know, as a law enforcement officer, that our 911 dispatchers are so overlooked, I think, by our communities, what they do for those men and women out there on the streets.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her service, as well.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce another law enforcement officer. He spent 23 years of his life serving Minnesota's Duluth Police Department. He is also an original cosponsor of the Protect and Serve Act.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Stauber for his service.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my good friend and someone who has had a life of service himself in the State legislature at all levels.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind remarks.

Now, Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) for any closing remarks he would like to make tonight.

Madam Speaker, I really do appreciate the work that we have been able to do on the law enforcement caucus serving together as co-chairs, and I look forward to the many more opportunities to come together and work. I thank everyone for making this Special Order hour bipartisan and recognizing our law enforcement officers are so very special.

Madam Speaker, I will close with this: As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. That is the opening of the Law Enforcement Officer's Code of Ethics.

If you go to the Law Enforcement Memorial, every officer whose name is etched on those walls lived by and died for that code. We remember them today. This whole week is about promises made and promises kept. We promised them and their families that they would never be forgotten.

This week we will keep that promise. I pray that we keep that promise every day, the rest of our lives. As I said earlier, I only pray that every person can live the rest of our lives worthy of their sacrifice.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in

which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Rutherford for leading tonight's Special Order and being the expert on law enforcement issues. We came in together, and I look to the gentleman for doing the right thing to support our police. I appreciate Mr. Pascrell, too. We worked a lot on traumatic brain injury and law enforcement issues. We find areas to agree on. I know Mr. Gottheimer is getting up here soon, and he is also a partner in many of our policies that we need to work on together.

I rise today in honor of our police, the men and women who walk the streets of our communities to keep us safe. Those who leave their families do so every day to protect ours.

In particular, I recognize the 556 officers who never returned to their families last year, including Saunders County Deputy Sheriff Jeff Hermanson, who passed away. He was a K9 handler and a volunteer firefighter. Deputy Hermanson was best remembered as a respected officer dedicated to his job.

The best way we can honor those who give their lives, and their families, is to introduce legislation that better protects them on the job and prepares them for their profession and protects them in retirement.

This Congress I introduced H.R. 355, the Back the Blue Act of 2023, which makes it a Federal crime to kill, attempt to kill, or conspire to kill a Federal judge, a Federal law enforcement officer, or federally funded public safety officer. Criminals who cause harm or death to our officers should face punishment to the fullest extent of the law.

Mr. Rutherford talked earlier about all these ambushes. This is unacceptable. They must be held accountable. Our police are also facing radical attacks, and there are growing calls for them to be defunded.

Let us be absolutely clear: We stand with our police.

I am an original cosponsor of the Invest to Protect Act which would direct the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to aid police departments with fewer than 200 law enforcement officers. I am also a cosponsor of the EAGLE Act of 2023 to assist with the accreditation of small and midsize police departments.

Unfortunately, there is an effort to eliminate the protections of qualified immunity for police officers. Let's be clear. Qualified immunity is not a blank check allowing law enforcement officers to do what they want. It only protects them for personal liability if they have not violated clearly established policies.

Without it, law enforcement officers would face a deluge of civil suits for simply doing their jobs.

I am a cosponsor of the Qualified Immunity Act, which would codify qualified immunity protections for law enforcement.

We are seeing a rise of crime across the Nation. In contrast, I want to brag on our Omaha Police Department, which has worked with the community to lower crime rates.

Fifteen years ago, the Omaha Police Department partnered with Empowerment Network 360 to foster relationships with neighborhood organizations, nonprofits, and churches. Coupled with solid support from the Omaha city administration, they have the funding to do the work they have identified through these relationships as vital to lowering gun violence. They are now a model of success for reducing homicides and violent crime in the city.

Recently mentioned on ABC, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, we are one of the few large cities that have seen a drop in gun violence and crime. In 2022, there were 90 citywide shootings, down from 191 just 13 years ago. Even more impressive is that the homicide clearance rates are now at 87 percent in 2022. It shows our police are working hard and are professionals.

My family has been a victim of crime twice, both times when I was deployed in the Middle East during my time in the Air Force. I will take this time to thank the law enforcement officers who are there at people's worst times in their lives. In my case, I was gone both times when my family was a victim of crime. I was unable to help, but I knew the police were there to support my wife and our kids, and we are grateful. I know this is the story of Americans from coast to coast, Hawaii and Alaska.

These legislative actions, in addition to the work of our local law enforcement and community advocates, can lead to safer communities and help ensure that our law enforcement officers are able to return home to their loved ones.

Tonight, we say to our police, our law enforcement, that we thank them. We love them, and we are grateful for what they do day in and day out.

Madam Speaker, I associate myself with Mr. Rutherford's words.

Madam Speaker, I am always proud to stand in support of our brave law enforcement officers, those officers who suit up every day. That is especially true during National Police Week.

Our heroes do not just protect the safety of us and our neighbors, they defend the institutions that are fundamental to the well-being of our great society.

Thousands of law enforcement officers and their families are in Washington to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The names of 556 officers will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Among these fallen heroes are Matthew Vogel of the Hudson County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey and Robert Miller of the Clifton Police Department.

Lieutenant Vogel and Sergeant Miller are missed tremendously in our north Jersey communities. I pray for their families, and I know my brother across the aisle feels the same way.

As the longtime co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus I know the value of building trust between law enforcement and the communities that they serve. We cannot simply say we support law enforcement. Action is required.

Last Congress, it was my honor to write two bills to fund the police that were signed into law: The Traumatic Brain Injury and Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder Law Enforcement Training Act and Protecting America's First Responders Act.

The last 3 years have been difficult for all of us, especially for our brothers and sisters in uniform that are there every day.

This Police Week, let's do right by the law enforcement community. Let's pass bills that actually support the police; not partisan messaging, but action.

I hope we would have considered two bipartisan bills of mine this Police Week. The first bill, H.R. 1322, the Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act, would guarantee Federal law enforcement officers receive their full retirement benefits. I think we all agree on that hopefully. The second bill, H.R. 1719, Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, would ensure our first responders who die or become disabled due to occupational cancer receive benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program. These bills would actually make a difference for officers and their families.

It is time we focus on those on the front lines. I hope we can pass these bills this Congress. I will say this, also, I would ask my brothers and sisters on both sides of the aisle to consider what I have been talking about for 25 years concerning weapons in our neighborhoods all over the country.

The best thing we can do for the police department is to protect it. I think that certain weapons are military style and do not belong out in the street. I think we would be doing a great service to law enforcement. We know not only do we need the personnel on the street, but we also need to protect them and give them the resources. This is why when I was in the State legislature in New Jersey many moons ago, we supported the first mass weapons bill banning those weapons. They have only one purpose, and that is in the military.

God bless our police. God bless America. God bless the Congress folks who see beyond their nose and understand what is going on out there in the America. We need to protect these guys and gals who go out every day to protect us.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to----

Madam Speaker, I introduce the Honorable Josh Gottheimer from the Fifth District in New Jersey. He has always had as a priority the brothers and sisters in blue.

Madam Speaker, I introduce a dynamic young lady from California, Congresswoman Torres. I thank her for being here.

Madam Speaker, I associate myself with all the words that were spoken on both sides of the aisle tonight. I am sure you do, too. The main job in front of us is to protect our police officers, and I think that we can resolve differences along those lines if we sit and talk with each other.

There is nothing more important than protecting our citizens. I think there is agreement on that. How we do it, well, that is always going to be controversial, but I believe that this is one issue, particularly what has happened over the last couple of years, that makes us either add or subtract from the way we thought about it before.

Madam Speaker, I thank my co-chair for yielding. We have got tough decisions to make in the future, but we will make them like we always have, and I thank him for all of his work.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Pascrell for his leadership in the caucus, supporting law enforcement, and always being there for those in New Jersey. I am very grateful.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Rutherford for organizing this evening and for all he does and has done in his career for law enforcement and for his service, which continues today. We are incredibly grateful for him.

I am grateful for my friendship with Mr. Bacon, who just spoke so artfully. He is vice chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus and also does a phenomenal job.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Police Week and to express my deep and unwavering support for the sacrifices our law enforcement officers make to keep our families and our communities safe.

Every day, law enforcement officers put on bulletproof vests, kiss their loved ones good-bye, and then put their lives on the line to look out for us. That is why we must always get the backs of those who have ours.

I am very proud to co-lead the bipartisan resolution that was just passed to recognize National Police Week and memorialize officers tragically killed in the line of duty.

This week, as we are here with so many others recognizing National Police Week, Americans across our great Nation honor and remember the more than 26,000 law enforcement officers who have sacrificed their lives to protect our great country. We will always honor their memory. We must do all we can to support law enforcement.

That is why I am honored to be leading bipartisan, bicameral legislation with my good friend and retired sheriff Congressman Rutherford called the Invest to Protect Act.

Our bipartisan legislation that he referred to is also being co-led by the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Steven Horsford, and retired NYPD detective Congressman Anthony D'Esposito.

Our bipartisan, bicameral bill will make critical investments in law enforcement, especially in small departments, training, recruitment and retention of officers, and mental health to protect our officers, our families, and our communities.

The Invest to Protect Act was developed through many conversations with Republicans and Democrats in both Chambers and with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

I am proud the bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by key law enforcement organizations, including the National Association of Police Organizations, Fraternal Order of Police, New Jersey State FOP, New Jersey State PBA, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Troopers Coalition, New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, Port Authority PBA, Peace Officers Research Association of California, State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association, National Sheriffs' Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, National Tactical Officers Coalition, and Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

It is worth pointing out these organizations because it shows the broad support in our country to support law enforcement and to make sure we take care of those who take care of us.

We have identical companion legislation in the Senate led by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.

We worked with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and others across the spectrum because the point Sheriff Rutherford and I realize, as well as so many others who support this legislation, is that you cannot cut or defund your way to safer communities and better police departments. Instead, you need to invest to protect. That is the only way we strengthen our departments to make them even better. We have to stand by them.

This idea that you cut all the way to the bone as the answer is absurd. It makes our communities weaker. We need to invest in them.

I am so grateful for this across-the-aisle support to get the backs of those who risk their lives every day to protect us, not just on this bill but on so many other important pieces of legislation that we will be considering this week, National Police Week.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Rutherford for putting on this hour. He served with honor. I thank him for continuing to lead in fighting for law enforcement in our Conference.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the many law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our communities. Every year, men and women from across this country decide to serve on a police force. They do it because they have a unique and noble desire to protect their family, friends, and communities. They have a willingness to put the safety of others before themselves. They believe in law and order and that justice will prevail against evil.

These are good, honorable, and noble people, and we are lucky to have them.

Every day, these men and women put on their uniform, kiss their families good-bye, and head to work without certainty they will return home that night.

If you ask the spouse of any law enforcement officer, what is the greatest sound in the world? They will tell you when their loved one takes the bullet-resistant vest off in the morning after duty and it scratches like Velcro and it wakes them up. They know their loved one is home from a night of hard work. They know their loved one arrived home safe.

Unfortunately, many never have heard that sound. As of this April, 99 officers have been shot in the line of duty this year and 10 have given their life. It is clear the dangers of the job are huge, but they are an accepted part of this profession.

What disgusts me, however, is the 27 ambush-style attacks. Law enforcement officers are intentionally being targeted and attacked in the streets simply because they wear the uniform and serve their communities. This is unacceptable and must stop.

In this Chamber, we must lead by example. We must respect the rule of law. We must thank and stand with our law enforcement officers. We must call on others to do so, as well. Only then will we truly honor the memory of those we have lost.

As a police officer for 23 years, it is my privilege to speak about the law enforcement profession and the men and women who wear the blue and the brown. They are some of the greatest people I have ever known. I will use my time in Congress to honor them the best I can.

We must not forget the family members of the men and women who serve, the Luke Delanos that are out there, the children of the family members that worry about mom or dad or brother and sister. We must also know that they are concerned that their loved one comes home alive at the end of their shift.

My time in uniform may be over, but my watch will never end. God bless the men and women in the blue and brown and their families.