Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two high school students who were chosen by the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists to represent the State of Colorado as Delegates at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders. These students are Ryan Bisgard and Colin McKee.

The Congress is an honors-only program for top students in our country who aspire to work in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. These students are nominated by their teachers or the Academy based on their leadership ability, academic achievement, and dedication. This program is designed to inspire young people to go into STEM fields and provides a path, plan, and mentoring resources to help them reach their dreams. During the Congress, the students will have the chance to learn from luminaries of the STEM field including top scientific university deans, leaders from government and the private sector, and even Nobel laureates.

These students' acceptance to this prestigious program is an incredible feat, and it is my honor to rise today and recognize the outstanding accomplishment of these future leaders. Our nation greatly benefits from the achievements of scientists and technologists, and it is important that we continue to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in the STEM fields.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to Ryan Bisgard and Colin McKee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of Otero Junior College (OJC) President Jim Rizzuto in La Junta, Colorado.

Mr. Rizzuto will be retiring after serving over 17 years as the president of OJC. Under his leadership, OJC has achieved numerous milestones including becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution and being awarded several million dollars in grants in areas such as STEM, affordable housing, business, healthcare, and various technical training programs. During his tenure, OJC also built many four-year degree partnerships to increase transfer opportunities for students and became one of the first rural community colleges in Colorado to develop online and hybrid courses.

It is also important to acknowledge Mr. Rizzuto's years of service, not only in higher education, but in the public sector as well. Previously he had served in the Colorado State Senate for 16 years, 12 of those years on the Joint Budget Committee. As a state senator, Mr. Rizzuto worked extensively on education policy and was a strong supporter of the community college system. For his efforts, Mr. Rizzuto was given honors such as induction into the Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System Alumni Hall of Fame and was named ``Legislator of the Year'' by 12 different organizations during his political tenure.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I applaud Mr. Rizzuto for his career of service, and thank him for leaving a lasting legacy at Otero Junior College. It is an honor to celebrate his impact on our community and state, and I wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Weld County Fair. Growing as an annual event since 1918, the Weld County Fair has fulfilled its mission well, which states in part that the fair serves as a source of community pride among county residents by providing an educational showcase for 4-H and FFA members, members of other youth groups, and residents to exhibit their accomplishments in the areas of agriculture, general and natural sciences, family consumer sciences, and county projects.

The Weld County Fair is supported by countless businesses and local organizations that recognize the profound impact the fair has, not only on the participants and families, but on the community and the economy as a whole. Weld County is the largest Agricultural producing county in the state and ranks among the highest in the country. It is imperative that the young people of today have a greater understanding of the role of agriculture and the economy in day-to-day life.

On behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I applaud the Weld County Fair for the dedication to preserving the rich history of Weld County. We look forward to their success as they keep this important tradition alive. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to celebrate the centennial celebration of the Weld County Fair.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 934 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation. This rule provides for consideration of three bills intended to give our country more necessary tools to tackle the opioid crisis.

The three bills this rule makes in order today were all reported favorably by their committees. H.R. 5735, the Transitional Housing for Recovery in Viable Environments Demonstration Program Act, was the subject of a hearing by the Committee on Financial Services on April 17 and was reported favorably on May 22 with a bipartisan vote of 34 ``yes'' votes.

H.R. 2851, the Stop the Importation and Trafficking of Synthetic Analogues Act, was the subject of hearing by the Committee on the Judiciary in June of 2017, and was reported favorably in July of 2017 by a unanimous voice vote.

The final bill made in order by this bill is H.R. 5788, the Securing the International Mail Against Opioids Act, which was reported favorably in May with a unanimous voice vote.

Together, these three bills provide the foundation of the House's legislative response this week to the opioid crisis which is wrecking lives and communities across this country.

Mr. Speaker, the eastern plains of Colorado has been my home for many decades. I often refer to the area as God's country. It is full of goodhearted, hardworking people who care for their families and neighbors. Many of these people work the land and provide services to those who do. They farm, they ranch, they produce energy resources, they transport livestock.

And when hardship and disaster strikes, neighbors move heaven and Earth to help each other. They grieve over loss and bear each other's burdens. However, it is not an unfamiliar refrain to hear that in the heart of this God's country is a disease plaguing our people.

All across this land, in rural towns, suburban developments, and urban neighborhoods, abuse of opioids is wrecking people's lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 64,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2016. Of that number, 65 percent, or 42,000 of those deaths, were directly related to the opioid epidemic. That means that every day 115 people die due to opioids.

While those are astounding numbers, it helps to compare with past figures. In 2000, 8,400 people died due to opioid abuse. These recent numbers indicate a nearly 500 percent increase. That is shocking and sad.

Colorado has not been spared from the opioid crisis. In fact, the CDC reports that in 2015 alone, Colorado saw 159 heroin overdose deaths in addition to the 259 prescription drug overdoses. This is particularly harmful to my district, with 8 of the 17 counties in Colorado exhibiting the highest overdose death rates being in eastern Colorado.

As some of these figures indicate, our opioid crisis is not just prescription drug abuse. While many who are caught in the cycle of abuse began with prescriptions, the availability and accessibility of heroin has perpetuated and intensified the crisis.

Most of the heroin on our Nation's streets comes into the United States through Mexico. It is distributed via cities like Denver in a ruthlessly efficient manner. An entire delivery system is established in which orders can be placed through a central operator, essentially a franchisee of the cartels, who dispatches a delivery driver to the purchaser.

In February of this year, Detective Nick Rogers of the Denver Police Department testified before the Judiciary Committee how criminal operations flow north through Mexico and from other places such as Honduras and Nicaragua. Heroin dealers enter our country illegally with fake identification from Mexico and establish these distribution networks in neighborhoods.

In the past, our law enforcement officers were able to apprehend these criminals and have them deported. Recently, however, local government policies have been having a negative impact on these police operations. Places like Denver have instituted so-called sanctuary policies that prohibit local law enforcement from working with Federal immigration authorities. The effect has been that law enforcement officers, such as Detective Rogers, apprehend the same drug dealers over and over and over again. They are prohibited from contacting Federal immigration officers to help control this scourge. This is confounding to many of us. We should be facing this crisis using every tool at our disposal.

We could continue discussing at length how sanctuary policies--while well-intentioned and sounding humanitarian--are having a profoundly negative impact in relation to opioid abuse. But there is other work that needs to be done to stand in the gap against this onslaught of bad actors.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016 Congress passed and the President signed into law the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA. CARA was the most comprehensive addiction treatment legislation passed by the Federal Government in several decades. It coordinated Federal response with State and local efforts to prevent, treat, help recover, and provide justice to those who are suffering under the impacts of opioid abuse.

While that bill was a good step, the bills before us today continue to organize Federal efforts to meet this public health and legal crisis.

The first two bills deal with a gap in Federal law that has been exposed by this crisis and exploited by international crime organizations. That gap is synthetic drugs. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, there are more than 300 known designer synthetic drugs, and this number grows with each passing year.

The gap in Federal law occurs because the Controlled Substances Act was not designed to deal with the ever-changing compounds that have resulted in more than 300 synthetic drugs. It currently takes us about 3 years to complete the process of placing a substance on the banned substance list. If we attempted to ban each drug as it was discovered, in the time it would take for our government to complete its action, criminal gangs would simply change the molecular structure just enough to avoid our laws, and we would be forced to start the process over again.

Because of this scenario, H.R. 2851 sets up a streamlined process for temporarily placing a synthetic drug on the illegal list. This will empower the Attorney General to respond quickly to criminal drug manufacturers in China and Mexico who work continuously to stay ahead of our drug laws.

Not only do we work to streamline the process of banning a substance in the United States, we also are working to prevent substances from reaching our shores in the first place.

H.R. 5788 requires the Postal Service to obtain advance electronic data on international mail shipments and transmit this data to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP. Under current law, private shippers, including express delivery carriers, are required to collect and submit this same information to CBP. Because current law does not require this information of the United States Postal Service, we have a significant vulnerability that allows criminal operations to ship synthetics and other contraband directly to the United States with relative ease.

This legislation simply closes a loophole by extending the requirement to the United States Postal Service. The data collected will allow CBP to target high-risk shipments, particularly shipments containing synthetics, for inspection and possible seizure.

The first two bills deal with bad actors overseas. The final bill attempts to help those afflicted by opioid abuse transition back to normal life. H.R. 5735 creates a pilot program in which a portion of existing housing vouchers are set aside for transitional housing for those who are undergoing opioid use disorder or other substance abuse disorder recovery.

In March of 2017, President Trump established a commission to strategize on how to combat drug addiction and opioid abuse. The final report of that commission said: ``There is a critical shortage of recovery housing for Americans in or pursuing recovery. Recovery residences are alcohol and drug-free living environments for individuals seeking the skills and social support to remain free of alcohol or other drugs and live a life of recovery in the community.''

Mr. Speaker, oftentimes individuals who complete recovery programs reenter life having lost everything. They are in danger of falling right back into the rhythms of their previous life which could lead them back into addiction. This bill ensures that they have a supportive housing situation to help them become reestablished in their community.

Over the course of the next week, we are going to pass nearly 30 bills dealing with aspects of the Federal response to the opioid crisis. These three bills today take major steps toward keeping the flow of drugs out of our country and helping those who are caught in the cycle of dependency become successful members of society again.

I know I speak for my community when I say that we need to be active in combating the scourge of opioid abuse. The flow of opioids and synthetics into our country from overseas must end. The lives of many of our loved ones depend on it.

Mr. Speaker, I support passage of these bills, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Ross), my friend and the vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further witnesses. I reserve the balance of my time to close.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, tens of thousands of Americans are dying each year due to opioid abuse. What started as an epidemic of prescription drug abuse has led into a resurgence in heroin addiction and synthetic drug abuse. The easy availability of these drugs has led to widespread abuse and death.

My home of eastern Colorado has been particularly hard-hit by this affliction. In the most recent statistics available, more than 400 Coloradoans have died of opioid and synthetic overdose. This number is devastating enough on its own, but it does not include the many other lives that are wrecked and torn apart from this curse.

We know many of the bad actors. We know China and Mexico, in particular, are deadly merchants in this sickening trade. Anything that we can do to block these goods from entering our country we should do. Our neighbors, our children, our loved ones deserve a fighting chance. These bills today form yet another defense against the opioid crisis in America.

I want to thank Chairman Sessions, Chairman Brady, Chairman Hensarling, and Chairman Goodlatte for bringing these bills forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the rule, supporting the underlying bills, and standing in the gap in defense of our communities that are ravaged by this crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of America's heroic veterans, the Honor Flight Network conducts two annual Honor Flight ceremonies to Washington, D.C. to give our nation's heroes a day to visit and reflect at their war memorials. On May 6, 2018, Honor Flight Northern Colorado held its 20th Honor Flight that gave many of our courageous veterans this extraordinary opportunity. I am pleased to recognize the May 6, 2018 Honor Flight honoring World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans of Northern Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, those who participated in this flight are as follows:

World War II: William Behrns, Leila Morrison, Gail Wares. Korean War: Melvin Cook, Eldred Cooley, Eugene Curry, Bearl Dennison, James Dewey, Tito Garcia Jr, Karl Gruber, Manuel Jimenez, Donald Johnson, Myron Kapperman, Roger Lindgren, Bobby Lewis, John Mansfield, Thomas Mathias Jr, Dale Mikkelson, Mary Miller, Robert Murphy, Howard Nomes, James Onorato, Wilbur Smith, Sigvard Stenlund.

Vietnam War: Bruce Abel, Gary Allen, Russell Ayer, Roger Baker, John Ballenski, Philip Ballenski, Robert Beckman, Delmar Benkendorf, Joseph Bicek, Ivan Birdsall, Roger Booker, James Boyle, Ronnie Brown, Robert Buchanan, Ronald Byers, Wesley Carter, Timothy Casseday, Everett Collins, David Cordova, John Cordova, Keith Cross, Terry Curry, Terry Dack, Scott Dallman, James Ehrlich, Rodney Enriques, Gary Evans, Brian Finkle, Lewis Finch, Rudolph Gallegos, Pete Gomez, Clayton Goss, Stanley Graffis, John Haddick, Michael Hadwick, William Hamlin, Arthur Harris, Michelle Herdengen, Charles Hill,

Richard Hill, William Hilgenberg, Ronald Hoagland, Robert Johnson, Ronald Klug, Terry Kramer, Lonnie Kruise, Darrel Kyger, Bertram Langeberg, Gerald Lauer, Jay Lee, James Lichty, Anthony Lucas, Thomas Mannix, Juan Martinez, Modesto Martinez, James McDaniel, Kenneth McDonald, Ronald McDuff, Phyllis Minch, Alfred Montoya, Thomas Moreno, Donald Morris, Stephen Morris, Dennis Moss, Joseph Muzy, Emery Patrick, Joseph Plummer, Steven Prater, Benjamin Prieb, Ronald Rains, Donald Ratliff, Richard Regan, Frederick Reiter, Thomas Robb, Bonnie Rohn, Fernando Romero Jr, Charles Rossi, Janice Schilling, Dennis Seitz, William Sladek, Michael Smith, Stephen Smith, Edward Snider Jr, John Tallman, Bruce Tibboel, Gary Todd, Gary Trippel, Billy Trobee, David Valdez, Wesley Van Pelt, Louis Velasquez, Stuart Veltkamp, Paul Wallace, Bryan Warwick, Tom Wasmer, Robert Watters, Steven Wilson, John Yost, William Young.

It is my distinct pleasure as the U.S. Representative of the 4th District of Colorado to recognize the honor, courage, and sacrifice of these heroes, along with all members of America's Armed Forces. I thank them for their dedication and service to this nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, Colorado, under the leadership of former U.S. Representative Bob Schaffer as their principal and headmaster.

Liberty Common is an exemplary charter school, consistently earning among the very highest standardized test scores in the state of Colorado. Just this year, Liberty Common was ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top public high schools in both the state and the nation.

Mr. Schaffer represented Colorado's 4th Congressional District from 1997 to 2003, consistently demonstrating exemplary leadership and integrity on Capitol Hill while serving his constituents. During his time in Congress, Mr. Schaffer worked passionately on education policy, fighting for school-choice. Starting in 2010, Mr. Schaffer served as the principal of the Liberty Common High School, and earlier this year became the headmaster of the school's complete K-12 offerings.

On behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I applaud Mr. Schaffer and his colleagues at the Liberty Common School for such an outstanding record of excellence. We look forward to their continued success as they educate and prepare the next generation of Coloradans for a prosperous and successful future. It is this investment in our children that makes the work of educators like those at Liberty Common so valuable to our state. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to celebrate the achievements of the Liberty Common School.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send my sympathies and prayers to America's neighbor, Guatemala, as the country bravely faces a tragic natural disaster.

On Sunday, Volcano de Fuego erupted without warning, sending hot rocks, ash, and gas throughout the surrounding villages. Shortly after the volcanic eruption, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Guatemala. Unfortunately, dozens of Guatemalan citizens, our neighbors and our friends, lost their lives.

The devastation experienced by Guatemala today contrasts sharply with the beautiful country I visited in August of 2017. I had the pleasure on that journey of meeting President Morales, along with many Guatemalan cabinet officials. We discussed the strong relationship between America and Guatemala, as well as our common fight to end drug trafficking and pursue peace and stability in North America. I am confident President Morales will courageously guide his nation through this time of tragedy.

I am truly saddened to see Guatemala enduring these trying times, but the country is resilient. I ask God to bless the lives impacted by these tragic events, to bless Guatemala, and to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the decades of public service performed by Jerry Garner, who retired from his post as the police chief of Greeley, Colorado, on June 1, 2018, after nearly 50 years of work in law enforcement.

In 1968, Chief Garner began his police career as an officer in Victoria, Texas, and he later trained officers in Junction City, Kansas. In 1973, he applied for the opportunity to join the Lakewood Police Department. When he was hired, Chief Garner and his wife, Kathy, moved to Colorado. After retiring from the Lakewood Police Department in 2003, he became the police chief of Fort Lupton, Colorado, and then he moved to Greeley where he became the police chief in 2006. He held this post until his retirement in June 2018.

I had the honor to work with Chief Garner when I served as the Weld County district attorney. His commitment to excellence, integrity, and safety were unmatched. In fact, during the time Chief Garner and I served together, crime in Weld County decreased by 50 percent. Moreover, the chief has authored 11 books supporting America's policing efforts and addressing the issues our officers face. Chief Garner's dedication to his work and sacrifice for his community will live on as his legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Robert Bukovac with the Trinidad Ambulance District. On June 12th, Mr. Bukovac will receive American Ambulance Association's 2018 Stars of Life award.

Robert Bukovac has dedicated his life to protecting all Americans through his service as a United States Marine, firefighter, and police officer. Today he is saving lives as a Paramedic and serves as the Las Animas County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.

Mr. Bukovac is a valued teammate at the Trinidad Ambulance District and has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to his community.

Our nation owes no greater debt of gratitude than the one we owe our first responders and service members. They have made incredible sacrifices for our country and deserve our utmost support and appreciation for their service. Robert Bukovac's continued dedication to service is a testament to his character, and I am proud to honor and recognize this outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my best wishes and congratulations to Mr. Bukovac for receiving the 2018 Stars of Life award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Andrea Flores, who was chosen by the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists to represent the State of Colorado as Delegates at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders.

The Congress is an honors-only program for top students in our country who aspire to work in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. These students are nominated by their teachers or the Academy based on their leadership ability, academic achievement, and dedication. This program is designed to inspire young people to go into STEM fields and provides a path, plan, and mentoring resources to help them reach their dreams. During the Congress, the students will have the chance to learn from luminaries of the STEM field including top scientific university deans, leaders from government and the private sector, and even Nobel laureates.

This student's acceptance to this prestigious program is an incredible feat, and it is my honor to rise today and recognize the outstanding accomplishment of this future leader. Our nation greatly benefits from the achievements of scientists and technologists, and it is important that we continue to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in the STEM fields.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my congratulations to Andrea Flores and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two high school students who were chosen by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to represent the State of Colorado as Delegates at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. These students are Shayla Cooper and Arianna Sanchez.

The Congress is an honors-only program for top students in our country who aspire to be physicians or medical scientists. These students are nominated by their teachers or the Academy based on their leadership ability, academic achievement, and dedication. This program is designed to inspire young people to go into medical research fields or be physicians, and provides a path, plan, and mentoring resources to help them reach their goal. During the Congress, the students will have the chance to learn from leaders in the medical field as well as government officials, top medical school deans, leaders from the private sector, and even Nobel laureates.

These students' acceptance to this prestigious program is an incredible feat, and it is my honor to rise today and recognize the outstanding accomplishment of this future leader. Our nation greatly benefits from the achievements of physicians and medical scientists, and it is important that we continue to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in the medical field.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my congratulations to these students and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroism and bravery of Douglas County Sheriffs Sergeant Dave Beyer. On December 31st, 2017, Sergeant Beyer responded with fellow law enforcement officers to a domestic disturbance call where he was wounded in the line of duty. On behalf of myself and the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for Sergeant Beyer's service to our community. I admire his courage and willingness to stand in harm's way so that the innocent may be protected.

Sergeant Beyer has committed his life to protecting Americans through his service in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, as a Reserve Deputy with the University of Colorado, with the City of Lafayette Police Department, and then with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for nearly 20 years.

During the incident on December 31st, Sergeant Beyer sustained injuries while providing cover during a shootout with a barricaded gunman. He also helped place a tourniquet on his colleague, Deputy Michael Doyle, during the exchange of shots. As Sergeant Beyer now confronts his own physical and emotional healing, he will also carry the burden of knowing that one of his fellow deputies didn't make it away from the incident alive. For a profession that treats each other like family, the loss of a colleague is especially painful.

We must never forget the sacrifices paid by our men and women in uniform. Our nation's law enforcers are vital to the safety of Colorado communities. On behalf of the citizens of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my best wishes and deepest gratitude to Sergeant Beyer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroism and bravery of Douglas County Sheriffs Deputy Jeff Pelle. On December 31, 2017, Deputy Pelle responded with fellow law enforcement officers to a domestic disturbance call where he was severely wounded in the line of duty. On behalf of myself and the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for Deputy Pelle's service to our community. I admire his courage and willingness to stand in harm's way so that the innocent may be protected.

Deputy Pelle has committed his life to protecting Coloradans through his service with the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office and then the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

During the incident on December 31st, Deputy Pelle received gunshot wounds from a gunman who had barricaded himself inside an apartment complex. As Deputy Pelle confronts his own physical and emotional healing, he will also carry the burden of knowing that one of his fellow deputies didn't make it away from the incident alive. For a profession that treats each other like family, the loss of a colleague is especially painful.

We must never forget the sacrifices paid by our men and women in uniform. Our nation's law enforcers are vital to the safety of Colorado communities. On behalf of the citizens in the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my best wishes and deepest gratitude to Deputy Pelle.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroism and bravery of Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Doyle. On December 31, 2017, Deputy Doyle responded with fellow law enforcement officers to a domestic disturbance call where he was wounded in the line of duty. On behalf of myself and the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for Deputy Doyle's service to our community. I admire his courage and willingness to stand in harm's way so that the innocent may be protected.

Deputy Doyle has committed his life to protecting Coloradans through his service as a Deputy in the Douglas County Sheriff's Office since 2013.

During the incident on December 31st, he re-entered an apartment building in an effort to retrieve fellow Deputy Zackari Parrish after the initial round of gunshots, but was injured by a second round of gunfire. He also performed life-saving actions on fellow Deputy Jeff Pelle after Deputy Pelle had been wounded. As Deputy Doyle now confronts his own physical and emotional healing, he will also carry the burden of knowing that one of his fellow deputies didn't make it away from the incident alive. For a profession that treats each other like family, the loss of a colleague is especially painful.

We must never forget the sacrifices paid by our men and women in uniform. Our nation's law enforcers are vital to the safety of Colorado communities. On behalf of the citizens in the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I extend my best wishes and deepest gratitude to Deputy Doyle.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroism and bravery of Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Zackari Parrish. On December 31, 2017, Deputy Parrish responded with fellow law enforcement officers to a domestic disturbance call and subsequently fell in the line of duty. On behalf of myself and the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I wish to express my deepest admiration to him for his sacrifice and my sincerest sympathy to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Deputy Parrish's bravery on that morning and his attempts to talk down the gunman were lauded by his commanding officers. But sadly, Douglas County lost one of its finest on that day. We can never repay the sacrifice made by Deputy Parrish, but we can commit ourselves to never forget the price he willingly paid for us.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that Deputy Parrish's courage will live on in the lives of his family members, in the actions of his fellow colleagues, and in the hearts of our Colorado community. I am thankful for the men and women like him who stand up for righteousness in this world.