Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish and hope that all of my colleagues and Americans had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I thank the men and women of the United States military for their service. It is particularly noteworthy that they serve in this time when families are gathered.

I thank Mr. Goodlatte for collaborating on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2228, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017. Ensuring the mental health and well-being of our law enforcement officers is paramount to the safety of our communities and the people our officers take a solemn oath to protect.

I am also very pleased to acknowledge Val Demings, a colleague and a member of the Homeland Security Committee, of which I serve. We are better off for the experience, commitment, and professional career that she had as a law enforcement officer and chief. She is one of the cosponsors of this legislation and I look forward to hearing from her.

Let me also take note of the fact that Texas experienced a depth of sadness over the holiday weekend when we lost one of our Department of Public Safety officers, who was killed by a perpetrator during the Thanksgiving weekend. We pray for him and his family.

H.R. 2228 is intended to provide support for law enforcement agency efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of law enforcement officers. I support this legislation as a good first step towards Congress addressing the various matters surrounding the mental health of our law enforcement officers.

We must recognize that law enforcement officers play a special role in our communities, with exceptional responsibilities to protect and serve where they see, encounter, and respond to horrendous situations that are dangerous, stressful, and often life-threatening.

Imagine those officers who came upon that scene Sunday morning in Texas a few weeks ago where 27 Texans were murdered in church and 20 were injured. Imagine churches that are frightened about worshipping. Imagine, as I left my hometown Houston, that there were law enforcement officers who were gathered to meet with pastors to give them comfort. They are there for us.

As well, for example, law enforcement officers have had to respond to several recent tragedies, which include the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were killed and 53 others were wounded; the killing of 5 officers and the wounding of 9 other officers, along with 2 civilians in Dallas, Texas; the San Bernardino, California, shooting of 14 innocent employees; the Las Vegas, Nevada, massacre, where a gunman killed 58 innocent concertgoers and injured nearly 500 others; and, again, most recently, as I indicated, on November 5, the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in Texas, the fifth deadliest mass shooting in the United States, as well as the deadliest shooting in an American place of worship in modern history, where 26 were gunned down in Sutherland Springs, Texas, including an 18-month-old child, a pregnant mother, and where 20 others were injured.

These horrific occurrences have become all too common in today's society. These chilling tragedies continue to affect us all. Imagine the impact that they have collectively on our law enforcement officers with whom these traumatic situations remain long after the threats are reduced. Everyone has returned home and communities they serve have regained a renewed sense of safety.

Imagine that officer that comes upon a horrific traffic accident that kills a family. Imagine their pain and their concern. Requiring these officers to continue to serve without providing them an effective avenue to process the day-to-day crisis does an injustice to them. That is why this is a very important initiative and I am really excited to support it.

I want to also raise for my colleagues that I have been a longstanding advocate for helping police officers, as we have worked together with the chairman of the committee and other members of the committee.

I want to make mention of the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which takes a comprehensive approach to addressing policing issues, including recognition of the importance of sustaining the mental well-being of our officers.

This piece of legislation addresses tragedies where we have seen actions take place. Countless unfortunate incidents have happened maybe because of the lack of deescalation.

This bill, I hope we can move along, as this bill that we have, the underlying bill, requires the Attorney General to perform an initial analysis of existing law enforcement accreditation standards and to recommend areas for development. That gives training, and it also takes into account mental health needs and funding needs.

It authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments to study law enforcement agency management and operations and to develop pilot programs to implement best practices.

It requires the Attorney General to study the prevalence and impact of any law, rule, or procedure that allows a law enforcement officer to delay the answer to questions posed, as quickly as possible, by any of the authorities investigating situations.

It authorizes appropriations for expenses related to criminal and civil enforcement activities by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.

It requires the Department of Justice to establish a task force to assist in local investigations, and it requires each Federal, State, and local law enforcement agency to report to the Attorney General on the actions in that particular department to help that department assess its own work.

It requires the Department of Justice to cooperate with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund--something that was very important to me--to create and provide a distinctive medallion to be issued to the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty or memorialized on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

This is in sync with the task force that was held in the last administration that offered to discuss ways to improve policing and to help our individual police officers.

We want to be partners for safety and security and community police relations, and we want them to have good health and the ability to serve the public in a good health mindset.

Under today's bill, the Attorney General shall review current mental health practices and services of Federal agencies and report to Congress, develop resources to educate mental healthcare providers about the law enforcement culture across the board, and develop evidence-based therapies as a result.

I believe this legislation and the Law Enforcement Integrity Legislation, if passed, will create an atmosphere where law enforcement officers will be comfortable in sharing their thoughts or their assessments or best practices.

Under this bill, the underlying bill, the Director of Community Oriented Policing Services shall conduct case studies that focuses on programs designed primarily to address officer psychological health and well-being and submit such a report to Congress.

The Attorney General shall also consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of Federal agencies to examine the mental health needs of Federal law enforcement officers and the efficacy of expanding peer mentoring programs; ensure the recommendations, resources, or programs protect the privacy of officers--that is extremely important--and report these findings to the Congress no later than 1 year after enactment.

Mr. Speaker, the key to all of this is to build the trust between community and police, the police community and the police families and families of those who come within the range of law enforcement.

If we can all work together, we can trust each other, we will have a better system of justice. This bill is a good first step, and I look forward to working as well with other law enforcement bills, including the Law Enforcement Integrity bill that I have just so noted.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2228, the ``Law Enforcement Mental Health Act of 2017.'' Ensuring the mental health and well-being of our law enforcement officers is paramount to the safety of our communities and the people our officers take a solemn oath to protect.

H.R. 2228 is intended to provide support for law enforcement agency efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of law enforcement officers.

These horrific occurrences have become all-too common in today's society. These chilling tragedies continue to affect us all. Imagine the impact they have collectively on our law enforcement officers, with whom these traumatic situations remain long after the threats are reduced, everyone has returned home and communities they serve have regained a renewed sense of safety.

Requiring these officers to continue to serve, without providing them an effective avenue to process these day-to-day crises does an injustice to them.

For example, law enforcement officers have had to respond to several recent tragedies which include: the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded; the killing of five officers and wounding of nine other officers along with two civilians in Dallas, Texas; the San Bernardino shooting of 14 innocent employees; the Las Vegas massacre, where a gunman killed 58 innocent concert-goers and injured nearly 500 others; and again, most recently on November 5, the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in Texas, the fifth-deadliest mass shooting in the United States, as well as the deadliest shooting in an American place of worship in modern history, where 26 were gunned down in Sutherland Springs, including an 18-month-old child and a pregnant mother, and where 20 others were injured.

This is why I have been a longstanding advocate for adoption of the ``Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act,'' which takes a comprehensive approach to addressing policing issues, including a recognition of the importance of sustaining the mental well-being of our officers.

This piece of legislation addresses the tragedies in some of our most recent cases such as: Tamir Rice, Brown, Freddie Gray and Garner and the countless others that do not receive publicity.

The bill provides seven substantive approaches towards improving law enforcement management and misconduct prosecution tools:

(1) It requires the Attorney General to perform initial analysis of existing law enforcement accreditation standards and to recommend areas for development.

(2) It authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States, units of local government, Indian Tribal Governments, to study law enforcement agency management and operations and to develop pilot programs to implement best practices.

(3) It requires the Attorney General to study the prevalence and impact of any law, rule or procedure that allows a law enforcement officer to delay the answer to questions posed by a local internal affairs officer, prosecutor, or review board on the investigative integrity and prosecution of law enforcement misconduct.

(4) It authorizes appropriations for expenses related to criminal and civil enforcement activities by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.

(5) It requires the Department of Justice to estabijsh a task force to coordinate the investigation, prosecution and enforcement efforts of Federal, state and local governments in cases related to law enforcement misconduct.

(6) It requires each Federal, State, and local law enforcement agency to report to the Attorney General data on the following: (1) traffic violation stops; (2) pedestrian stops and detentions; and (3) the use of deadly force by and against law enforcement officers.

(7) It requires the Department of Justice, in cooperation with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, to create and provide a distinctive medallion to be issued to the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty or memorialized on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

These are all measures similar in nature to those undertaken by the Obama Task Force Initiative. In short, the Law Enforcement Integrity and Trust Act would help law enforcement officers do their jobs, knowing that they have our support. This is why it was endorsed by a broad range of legal, community-based and law enforcement groups nationwide.

Under today's bill, the Attorney General shall review current mental health practices and services of Federal agencies and report to Congress, develop resources to educate mental health care providers about the law enforcement culture across the board, and develop evidence-based therapies as a result.

Under this bill the Director of Community Oriented Policing Services shall conduct case studies that focus on programs designed primarily to address officers' psychological health and well-being and submit such report to Congress.

I support this legislation as a good first step towards Congress addressing the various matters surrounding the mental health of our law enforcement officers.

We must recognize that law enforcement officers play a special role in our communities, with exceptional responsibilities to protect and serve, where they see, encounter, and respond to horrendous situations that are both dangerous and stressful, and often life-threatening.

The Attorney General shall also consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security and head of Federal agencies to examine the mental health needs of Federal law enforcement officers and the efficacy of expanding peer mentoring programs; ensure the recommendations, resources, or programs protect the privacy of officers; and report these findings to Congress no later than one year after enactment.

As this is a good first step, I support the bill and ask my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her remarks. We are working together to build that trust and to safely secure the community and our officers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings). She brings to the United States Congress very important contributions as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs. These voices are well needed. Congresswoman Val Demings is the former chief of police of the City of Orlando, Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), a distinguished and senior member of the Judiciary Committee, the chair of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

Mr. Speaker, again, let me thank the two prior speakers, Congresswoman Demings and Congressman Nadler, for very insightful, very important remarks on this particular legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), someone who I know has a passion for first responders, as we have worked together even more closely after the heinous tragedy of 9/ 11.

I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey.

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

Let me, first of all, thank Congresswomen Brooks and Demings for a very astute initiative, and I look forward to us working together, along with the chairman, on other items that impact the service of our officers and the better police practices. And I cite, of course, the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act.

Mr. Speaker, I say to the chairman, I wanted to make mention of the fact that we have been meeting on police issues for almost 2 years in the Police Working Group, and it has been very impactful. I look forward to us igniting another meeting and being able to hear from both police and community, because we want a safe community and we want safe law enforcement.

Let me also say, as I close, that many police officers are veterans, and they have been in a war situation, and that means they have faced crises, they have faced the violence of war, and they, obviously, have experienced bouts, possibly, of PTSD or, as we know that they do, they may not yield to it and may not know it and go right into serving; whether they are fire or police, they go right into serving the community. Therefore, this legislation will be enormously helpful to them.

So, as I said earlier, this is a good first step to helping to enhance the mental health or the mental well-being of our law enforcement officers. These officers endure stressful events on our behalf in the interest of protecting their communities, and so we will all benefit from the effective implementation of this legislation.

Therefore, I support this bill, even as I encourage us to continue our work on additional legislation to help foster better coordination between our police officers and the communities they serve.

One final point, that I have listened to officers, and they have said to me, with all that they deal with, coming upon a circumstance where a child has been injured or killed is one of the most devastating experiences they have had to have. Just imagine that.

This mental health bill will work on all of the issues that they have to address, and I ask my colleagues to support the underlying legislation, which is the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017, H.R. 2228.

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, this is a good first step to helping to enhance the mental well-being of our law enforcement officers.

These officers endure stressful events on our behalf, in the interest of protecting their communities. And so, we will all benefit from the effective implementation of this legislation.

I therefore support this bill, even as I encourage my colleagues to work together on additional legislation to help foster better coordination between our police officers and the communities they serve.

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

Thank you, Sheriff.

I appreciate your comments, Lawyer Gowdy; as I call him, his comments.

I know that the outlaws in Washington State are glad you are in Congress and you are not back in Washington arresting them and putting them in the jailhouse where a lot of them belong. But thank you for the opportunity to speak at this very important Special Order.

As you know, while you were a sheriff in Washington, I was down at the courthouse in Texas, first as a prosecutor, like Lawyer Gowdy, and then, for 22 years, I tried criminal cases, felonies, everything from stealing to killing.

I met a lot of police, as I call them, during that time. Some of them, as Mr. Gowdy has pointed out, gave their lives in the line of duty. I met them in the middle of the night when they would come bringing a warrant to me to sign so they could go arrest somebody while the rest of us all slept. They are doing what they do best, and that is protecting and serving our communities.

A lot of police officers--and I don't think it has been said yet-- their job is being a police officer, but most of them have other jobs just to make ends meet. They have an extra job, as we call it, because they don't make a lot being a police officer. None of them ever do it for the money--none of them anywhere in the world do it for the money. So to support their families, they have to have other jobs to do that.

I think we as a nation need to understand and appreciate that they do what they do because they feel, and it is, an important service to our community.

Last year, 135 police officers throughout the Nation were killed; 64 of them were shot and killed, and 21 of those were ambushed.

Among the States, my home State of Texas had the most police officers killed. Twenty-one were killed last year in the line of duty. We also had five canines that were killed that worked with police.

I have here a photograph--or a poster of the 21 officers killed in the line of duty in the State of Texas last year; all races, both sexes, all ages throughout the State of Texas. Last year, we saw probably more than I can remember, this phenomena of hate and ambush of police officers.

On July 7, 2016, five Dallas police officers were shot and killed as they were protecting a protest demonstration in downtown Dallas.

What occurred was a sniper who had been preparing, obviously for some time, was watching this procession go by and he opened fire on those police officers. Other than 9/11, this was the most deadliest day for police officers in the United States.

Shortly before 9 p.m., a domestic terrorist--and I am not going to give his name. His name is not important. The names of the officers are what is important--parked his black SUV on Lamar Street. He put on his body armor. He got his automatic weapon ready to fire, and he started stalking Dallas police officers.

As those Dallas police officers and a DART officer--DART is Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer--marched along with the protesters, he opened fire on them with the intent to kill as many as he could. So gunfire rang out and bullets struck and killed Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Officer Patrick Zamarripa, and three Dallas police officers were wounded, along with a civilian.

But the sniper wasn't through yet. He headed back up Lamar Street-- and that is in downtown Dallas--shooting out the windows of a nearby college campus, El Centro College campus. During that time, he injured two El Centro College police officers trying to get into the school.

He had continued on his quest to kill officers and he snuck up behind a DART officer--his name, Brent Thompson--and shot him in the back and killed him. He then turned his way on to Elm Street nearby and shot his way back into El Centro College.

All of this took about 20 minutes. Police officers were following this sniper, trying to capture him, but this individual went up to the library in the school and started firing down. His next victim was Officer Michael Smith, and he injured yet another DART officer.

He was cornered in the library. Chief of Police Brown said: During that 2-hour-long negotiation, the individual lied to us, played games, laughed at us, sang, and continually asked how many of those coppers did he kill?

Eventually, the Dallas SWAT team took care of the sniper, and he was killed.

In total, five officers were killed, seven others were wounded. And these officers were killed for the sole reason that they wore a uniform, that they wore a badge or a star over their heart, symbolizing protecting us from the do-bads. That is why that badge is there over their heart. They were willing to give their life so that we might have peace, order, and safety; and on that day, five of them did.

In total, like I mentioned, 21 officers were killed in Texas last year, the most in any State. I include in the Record their full background and the departments that they worked with.

Their names are: Officer David Hofer, Patrolman David Ortiz, Trooper Jeffrey Nichols, Border Patrol Agent Jose Barraza, Officer Endy Ekpanya, Sergeant Stacey Baumgartner, Officer Calvin McCullers, Jr., Sergeant Michael Smith, Officer Michael Krol, Officer Patricio Zamarripa, Officer Brent Thompson, Senior Corporal Lorne Bradley Ahrens, Officer Marco Zarate, Correctional Officer Mari Johnson, Officer Justin Ryan Scherlen, Officer Amir Abdul-Khaliq, Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Maltby, Corporal Robert Ransom, Border Patrol Agent David Gomez, Commander Kenneth Starrs, and Detective Benjamin Marconi.

Roll Call of Heroes

1. Officer David Stefan Hofer, Euless Police Department.

End of Watch: March 1, 2016.

2. Patrolman David Ortiz, El Paso Police Department. End of

Watch: March 14, 2016.

3. Trooper Jeffrey Don Nichols, Texas Department of Public

Safety--Texas Highway Patrol. End of Watch: March 26, 2016.

4. Agent Jose Daniel Barraza, United States Department of

Homeland Security--Customs and Border Protection--United

States Border Patrol, US. End of Watch: April 18, 2016.

5. Officer Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya, Pearland Police

Department. End of Watch: June 12, 2016.

6. Sergeant Stacey Allen Baumgartner, Patton Village Police

Department. End of Watch: June 19, 2016.

7. Officer Calvin Marcus McCullers, Jr., Southern Methodist

University Police Department. End of Watch: July 5, 2016.

8. Sergeant Michael Joseph Smith, Dallas Police Department.

End of Watch: July 7, 2016.

9. Officer Michael Leslie Krol, Dallas Police Department.

End of Watch: July 7, 2016.

10. Officer Patricio Enrique Zamarripa (Zamarreepa), Dallas

Police Department. End of Watch: July 7, 2016.

11. Officer Brent Alan Thompson, Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Police Department. End of Watch: July 7, 2016.

12. Senior Corporal Lorne Bradley Ahrens (Lorn Bradley

Aarons), Dallas Police Department. End of Watch: July 8,

2016.

13. Officer Marco Antonio Zarate (Zah-rot-ee), Bellaire

Police Department. End of Watch: July 12, 2016.

14. Corrections officer Mari Anne Johnson, Texas Department

of Criminal Justice. End of Watch: July 16, 2016.

15. Officer Justin Ryan Scherlen, Amarillo Police

Department. End of Watch: August 4, 2016.

16. Officer Amir Abdul-Khaliq (kah-leek), Austin Police

Department. End of Watch: September 4, 2016.

17. Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Hubert Maltby, Eastland County

Sheriff's Office. End of Watch: September 7, 2016.

18. Corporal Robert Eugene Ransom, Gregg County Sheriff's

Office. End of Watch: September 30, 2016.

19. Agent David Gomez, United States Border Patrol, US. End

of Watch: November 16, 2016.

20. Commander Kenneth Joseph Starrs, South Texas

Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force. End of Watch:

November 16, 2016.

21. Detective Benjamin Edward Marconi, San Antonio Police

Department. End of Watch: November 20, 2016.

Mr. Speaker, these were real people. And as Sheriff Reichert said earlier, these people have families.

Lastly, I would like to mention one other officer whose name I read. His name was Sergeant Stacey Baumgartner. He worked at a little bitty police department called Patton Village in Texas, right outside of Houston, and he was killed when his patrol car collided with another vehicle while he was involved in a hot pursuit.

He is survived by his wife, his son, and his daughter, Chloe. This is a photograph of Chloe taken last week in Austin, Texas, at the Texas Peace Officers Memorial Service event. This is her. It was posted by the police chief of Patton Village, Texas. It expresses the families, the humanity of their fathers and their mothers, and how we as a people need to understand the consequences when people murder our finest.

God bless the thin blue line.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday this week, hundreds of families, friends, colleagues, and loved ones from every corner of the country gathered at the United States Capitol for the 36th annual National Peace Officers Memorial Day. They were here to honor all of those names at the memorial, 21,000 names, Mr. Speaker. And this year, 394 more were added. Now, some of those are over past years--not this past year, but prior years--but 394 additional names were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Their names will ever be etched in our hearts and on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and, as I said, with 21,000 others who came before them.

People who walk by and view these names may not recognize the names or may not know all of the names. They may have a special loved one whose name appears on those hollowed walls. But the thing to remember here is that these are brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and some even grandfathers. They are real people who sacrificed their lives. Some were ambushed and executed, and some lost their lives responding to a call to save a life or someone who called for help. These are the men and women who gave their lives so we could, in many cases, keep ours.

I have a lot more to say on this, and we have some time. I am going to yield to other Members, Mr. Speaker, who arrived here tonight to share their stories and remember the officers who served their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Chairman Goodlatte, chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman. I thank him for all his hard work in his committee to support law enforcement across the country. I look forward to working with him on some of the law enforcement reforms that his committee is looking at. I appreciate it.

It is an honor for me, Mr. Speaker, to lead this Special Order. I am very humbled at the response that we have received tonight by the Members who want to be here and talk about their law enforcement officers in their communities.

Another one of our Members who wants to share his thoughts and feelings is the son of a State trooper from Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia. As he shared his story about his father, it reminded me of my own story of coming home to my three young kids and my uniform being torn and bloodied, in some cases. I never really thought about what my kids or my spouse was thinking when I came home. I was still wrapped up in the shift that I had just come from and the struggles that I had been through on the streets.

I served for 33 years in the King County Sheriff's Office, and I would do that job all over again, Mr. Speaker. I loved it.

But I wanted to share another story, too, of Officer Jake Gutierrez from the Tacoma Police Department, which is a city just south of Seattle. Officer Gutierrez tragically died in the line of duty. He lost his life while protecting a woman from domestic violence. Jake was supposed to exchange wedding vows with his fiancee just a few weeks later. Instead, his fiancee, his three daughters, and his granddaughter attended his funeral. They struggled--and I am thinking they are still struggling today--to picture a life without him.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy). Our U.S. Attorney, prosecutor, knows law enforcement well, and he has a story to tell about one of his officers.

Mr. Gowdy, I have a feeling that Kevin knew anyway when he left that courtroom how you felt. Thank you for sharing that powerful story. I think it really clearly points to a lot of things:

One, the job is tough and you have got to make those split decisions, and they are life and death decisions;

Two, that the human side of the police officer is not very often recognized; that the connection to their family--as I said in my opening statement, these are people that are fathers, they are sons, they are sisters, they are mothers, in some cases they are grandparents.

Sometimes we see a person just wearing a uniform, but there is a human being inside that uniform wearing that badge and carrying that gun to make sure that we can get home to our families and enjoy our families.

I lost a best friend and partner in 1982. It still hurts today. If I can get past the emotional part, I might share that story a little bit later.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Judge Poe for his words. When he mentioned police officers don't do this for the money, I always considered it a calling. And I think if you talked to any police officer or deputy out on the street today, I think they would tell you that they felt called to serve, and called to serve in the uniform, and called to put their life on the line and to risk their life for others.

I was going to share the story of my partner, Sam Hicks, who was killed in 1982. He left behind five sons. He was ambushed and shot in the chest and killed instantly.

The killer was a man who was already wanted for murder. One of the hardest things I ever did--I was the only homicide detective at the scene when they captured him--was to sit in the back seat with this killer, advise him of his rights, and get him a glass of water and something to eat because he had been on the run for 3 days. I spent an hour in the back seat of that cop car with this killer, knowing that Sam's five sons no longer had a father.

Thank you for your words tonight, Judge.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Jacksonville, Florida (Mr. Rutherford), the second sheriff in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sheriff for being here tonight honoring those who fell in his community and under his command. I thank him for his 40 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. I am proud to serve with him in Congress. We need more sheriffs in Congress, by the way.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. DesJarlais).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings), the former police chief of Orlando.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chief. It is an honor to serve with the gentlewoman. I know the gentlewoman has a special quality about her now that I heard her husband was a sheriff. The gentlewoman is all thumbs up on my team, and I thank her for her sincere, thoughtful comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran) who is a former Chicago police officer.

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

Thank you, Sheriff. I want to start by thanking you for your service as a law enforcement officer and in Congress. And I call you sheriff when I pass by you because I always believe in calling people by their highest title. And as much as it is wonderful, and I am sure the people in your family are proud of your service in the United States Congress, I am proudest of your willingness to sacrifice for the people of Washington as their sheriff.

Kevin Carper was a uniform patrol officer with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. He was not a detective. He was not in management. He was just a regular police officer like the ones we see every day in our towns and cities.

Kevin responded to a domestic violence call. Those who are unfamiliar with law enforcement have a tendency sometimes to refer to those as routine calls. There is nothing routine about a domestic violence call, and everyone in law enforcement knows it.

Off of Airport Road in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Kevin and his partner arrived to find William Seich on the front porch of his small home pointing a large caliber gun at his wife, Judy.

Judy was crouched down in the front yard, trying to protect herself, trying to shield herself behind a tree, and William was pointing the gun at her and, alternatively, pointing the gun at law enforcement who had just arrived on the scene.

You know, Sheriff Reichert and Mr. Speaker, it all seems so easy in hindsight. Do you shoot? Do you pull the trigger? Is the gun real? You have split seconds to make these decisions only to have them second- guessed for months, if not years afterward. Is the gun real? Is it loaded?

William Seich finally turned the gun toward his wife and he shot her. As he was turning the gun towards law enforcement, no doubt to shoot them, they returned fire. They struck William Seich. As one officer ran toward his fallen wife, Judy, Kevin Carper ran to the front porch to make sure that William Seich didn't shoot anybody else.

As he got on the front porch, Mr. Speaker, he heard the cries of children. Unbeknownst to Kevin and his partner, there were children inside that mobile home, and the bullets from one of the officer's guns had struck one of the children.

William Seich survived and was charged with murder. Both of the little girls ultimately survived, although one was badly injured.

I met Kevin when we were preparing for trial. He was an essential witness, so I needed to prepare him for what would come during this trial. He would be second-guessed. His every move would be scrutinized. In a very real sense, he would not only be blamed for Judy Seich's murder, he would be blamed for shooting one of the little girls inside that home, and then he would be blamed for not doing enough to protect Judy Seich, not making the right split-second decision.

I tried to prepare Kevin for what would be a grueling cross- examination, and it was clear to me his mind and heart were somewhere else. So, finally, I said: Kevin, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't have a choice.

He said: I know, Solicitor Gowdy.

He had tears streaming down his face in my office.

He said: I know, Solicitor Gowdy, but I shot that little girl.

Objectively, Kevin Carper did everything right that night. He responded to an incredibly tense domestic call. He was confronted with a man holding a gun. Was it a real gun? Was it loaded? All of these thoughts going through his mind; and as soon as William Seich shot and murdered his wife, he returned fire.

Objectively, we know everything he did was right, but it didn't matter how many times I told Kevin: You did the right thing. Deputy Kevin Carper heard me. Father, husband, Kevin Carper had tears streaming down his face at the thought that he would have hurt a child.

Well, we went through the trial, and he was, as you might imagine, an indispensable witness.

Mr. Speaker, he could not have done a better job in that murder trial. Yeah, he was a tough police officer in a uniform, but when it came time to describe walking on the front porch and hearing the cries of children, he became a husband and a father again, and in front of a jury, Sheriff--and you know this is hard for police to do in front of a jury--this tough, brave man broke down in tears, and the jury had a chance to see the humanity of police officers. The jury had a chance to see that ``protect and serve and defend'' part of police officers.

William Seich was convicted, in no small part, because of Kevin Carper's help. In South Carolina, the sentencing takes place immediately after the trial, so there was family to talk to and to prepare them for the sentencing hearing so they could allocute on what Judy Seich's life meant to them and what the proper punishment should be.

Mr. Speaker and Sheriff Reichert, I wanted to tell Kevin what a great job he had done. I wanted to tell Kevin how impressed I was with his humanity. I wanted to tell Kevin--I intended to tell Kevin that he took a cynical old prosecutor and he made him believe again that there are women and men who go into this line of work for all the right reasons. That is what I intended to tell

him. But in the hustle and bustle of sentencing, he slipped out the back of the courtroom and we went on with the sentencing hearing.

But I knew that I would see him again and I would have a chance to tell him. I would have a chance to tell his boss: You need to watch that guy, make him a homicide detective. He is really good.

I would have a chance to tell him he did great by those little girls. I knew I would see him again and I would have a chance to tell him again.

And I did see him again, laying beside a roadside, shot to death during a routine traffic stop. He was shot by a man who had been arrested more than 30 times.

If you have ever attended an officer's funeral, the finality of that death hits you the very hardest at the end where they do the radio call: Deputy Kevin Carper, do you read? Deputy Kevin Carper, can you hear us? And, of course, there is silence. And then at the end, it is: Deputy Kevin Carper, you are clear to go home.

I never told Kevin what I should have told him. Deputy Kevin Carper, you were a credit to law enforcement. Husband, father, Kevin Carper, you are a credit to humanity and your family. I wish I had told you when I should have told you.

I hope that all of my other friends in prosecution and in law enforcement now will not wait too long to tell the men and women of law enforcement how grateful they are for their service.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here this evening with my friend, Sheriff Dave Reichert, and all of my colleagues who stand with our law enforcement officers, their families, and their communities for this National Police Week.

It is a time where we come together as a country to recognize the sacrifices our police officers make for us every time they put on that uniform.

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Nassau County Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Memorial Service in Florida, where we recognized those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. And in a very special way, we honored the life of Officer Eric James Oliver, who was killed in the line of duty on November 22, 2016.

Officer Oliver died doing what he loved, protecting and serving his community. Before he joined the sheriff's office, Officer Oliver served our Nation in the United States Navy. But his most important job, Mr. Speaker, was being the loving father to his 6-year-old daughter, Shelby.

Tonight I commend the many sacrifices made by each and every law enforcement officer in Florida's Fourth District, but this year we give special recognition to Officer Eric Oliver and the great loss felt by his family, his Nassau County Sheriff's Office colleagues, and our entire northeast Florida community.

Tonight I also want to honor in a special way two Department of Homeland Security officers who lost their lives in service to their country.

First, I rise to honor Special Agent Jeremy Scott McGuire. Scott served with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, assigned to the National Security Investigations Division at the Homeland Security Investigations office in New Orleans, Louisiana.

On January 25, 2016, Special Agent Scott McGuire lost his life while on special assignment in Miami, Florida. In his final assignment, he was conducting investigations to identify, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal enterprises and terrorist organizations that threatened the security of the United States.

He is survived by his wife, Suzy, and son, Finn. Special Agent McGuire earned an extensive list of awards and accolades in recognition of his academic accomplishments, and his investigative successes. In fact, posthumously, Scott received the HIS national award for top illicit drug trade investigator of 2016.

Special Agent McGuire left behind the greatest legacy a man can live. He was truly a man of distinction and a man of devotion to not only his work, but also to his family and friends, and he lives on as a hero.

Second, I rise to honor fallen Officer Brian Beliso, a U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement officer assigned to the Fugitive Operations Unit at the Enforcement and Removal Operations office in San Francisco. Officer Beliso began his work with ICE in 2007. Very early in his career, Brian distinguished himself as a charismatic leader and a dedicated employee who always went above and beyond in all of his duties.

In his final assignment, Officer Beliso conducted field operations to locate at-large criminal and fugitive aliens who are in violation of our Nation's immigration laws. He was directly responsible for prosecutions of numerous criminal aliens who illegally reentered the country following their deportation.

On June 8, 2016, Officer Beliso died in the line of duty. Not only was Brian greatly respected by his colleagues and superiors, he was also known for his selfless service to his family and community. He was a beloved husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Christina, and their three children, Noah, Sophia, and Bella.

Mr. Speaker, law enforcement is a noble profession, and it is a noble profession not only because these men and women serve, but because they serve with self-sacrifice. Officer Oliver, Officer Beliso, and Special Agent McGuire laid their lives on the altar of freedom, and we must never forget them and the many other men and women who have

lost their lives so that we may experience the safety and freedoms that we enjoy today.

On behalf of a very grateful nation, we thank them for their noble service and we honor them for their duty and sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't mention two other officers. I had the great honor for 12 years of being sheriff of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in Jacksonville, Florida.

During my tenure, I was deeply saddened to bury two of my officers who died in the line of duty. They were Officer Scott Bell, who gave his life in service in 2007, and Officer Christopher Kane in 2008.

I say again, on behalf of a very grateful nation, we thank them for their noble service, and we honor them for their duty and sacrifice.