[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6] [House] [Pages 7798-7800] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1299) supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. The Clerk read the title of the resolution. The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 1299 Whereas there are more than 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States, 12 percent of whom are women; Whereas law enforcement officers selflessly protect the people of the United States and their communities; Whereas law enforcement officers serve the country in spite of the inherent danger of their service; Whereas more than 18,600 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in the United States since the first recorded police death in 1792; Whereas 72 law enforcement officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, making that day the deadliest in law enforcement history; Whereas 125 law enforcement officers were killed in 2009; Whereas, on March 21, 2009, Sergeant Mark Dunakin and Officer John Hege and Sergeants Ervin Romans and Dan Sakai of the Oakland Police Department in California were shot and killed by the same gunman in two separate attacks; Whereas, on November 29, 2009, Sergeant Mark Renniger and Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens II, and Greg Richards of the Lakewood Police Department in the State of Washington were shot and killed as they sat in a coffee shop; Whereas Public Law 87-726 designates May 15th of each year as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the calendar week during which that Day occurs as Police Week; Whereas section 7(m) of title 4, United States Code, requires that the United States flag be flown at half-staff on all government buildings on Peace Officers Memorial Day; and Whereas law enforcement officers deserve the gratitude of the people of the United States for their service: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) supports the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day; (2) honors Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty; and (3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe Peace Officers Memorial Day with ceremonies and respect befitting those who have risked their lives and died in service to their communities. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida. General Leave Mr. DEUTCH. 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 material on the resolution under consideration. [[Page 7799]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida? There was no objection. Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors our law enforcement community by supporting the observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Since 1962, May 15 has been recognized as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week of May 15 has been designated as Police Week. {time} 1500 For nearly 50 years, we have continued this observance as a way to honor the men and women of our Nation's law enforcement agencies. They protect our neighborhoods, our homes, and our loved ones; and we are grateful. The men and women who dedicate their careers to our safety do so at the expense of spending long hours away from their families, putting themselves at great risk, and in too many instances, making the ultimate sacrifice. On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in this Nation every 53 hours. Unfortunately, since the beginning of this year we have lost 58 officers. Despite this ever-present danger, these dedicated professionals continue to make sacrifices for their communities without asking thanks or praise. The law enforcement professionals and police officers who toil in our communities across this Nation deserve our unwavering support and our thankful recognition. I commend our colleague from Texas (Mr. Poe) for introducing this important resolution. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1299, supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Every year the President issues a proclamation naming May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Of course, in the days leading up to May 15, thousands of peace officers and their families come to Washington, D.C. They come here to remember their fellow officers and their loved ones who have given their lives, all in the line of duty. They participate in conferences and memorial services. They honor the memories of those who worked so hard to protect our communities and, in the end, made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives for the rest of us. Americans have been protected by peace officers for 217 years, ever since the early settlers in Boston, Massachusetts. They established a program called Night Watch to safeguard those Bostonians. Not a day goes by that law enforcement officers do not face danger in their mission to keep us safe from crime, acts of violence, and now terrorism. On May 17, 1792, New York City's Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith became the first recorded peace officer to be killed in the line of duty. Mr. Speaker, since that time, 18,600 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty. Let me repeat: 18,600 peace officers in the United States have been killed in the line of duty. On average, 58,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted every year; and in 2009, 125 of those officers were killed protecting other Americans. Five of those fallen officers were from my home State of Texas. Those individuals were Senior Corporal Norman Smith of the Dallas Police Department. He was killed by gunfire on June 6, 2009. Lieutenant Stuart Alexander from the Corpus Christi Police Department. He was killed by vehicular assault on March 11, 2009. Sergeant Randy White of the Bridgeport PD was killed by a vehicle pursuit on April 2, 2009. Houston police officer Henry Canales was killed by gunfire on June 23, 2009. And Jesse Hamilton was killed on August 25 by gunfire, and he was a member of the Pasadena Police Department of the State of Texas. 2009 was a particularly difficult year for peace officer families. On the 21st day of March 2009, four members of the Oakland, California Police Department were shot and killed in the line of duty. Sergeants Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans, Dan Sakai and Officer John Hege gave their lives in service to their fellow Americans, and we honor them in their service today. On November 29, 2009 four members of the Lakewood Police Department in Washington were brutally ambushed as they sat in a coffee shop catching up on paperwork and planning for their upcoming shift. Sergeant Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and Greg Richards were all veteran law enforcement officers, each with between 8 and 14 years of experience. This loss was a staggering blow to the Lakewood community and the national community of peace officers. We continue to mourn this senseless loss and honor them for their service. Although there has been great progress in protecting the safety of these men and women who wear the uniform, the death of every officer serves as a reminder to the whole country that our Nation's law enforcement officers still face dangerous and potentially deadly situations every day. During my 20 years as a judge in Texas, I had the privilege of working alongside some of America's finest police officers. Later, during my term on the bench, some of those police officers were killed in the line of duty. Now, as a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus, I recognize that peace officers are too often victims of crimes they seek to prevent. When a peace officer puts on a uniform in the morning, they represent everything that is good, everything that is right about our country. And I am privileged to honor them here today. Mr. Speaker, we in this House of Representatives need to always remember that outside these Halls, on the rooftops and around the Capitol are the Capitol police officers watching and protecting those who come to the people's House, to the Capitol Building and the surrounding buildings. And we need to remember that in 1998, two of those Capitol police officers, Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson, were killed in the line of duty in this very building as they were protecting other Members of Congress from a gun-wielding assailant that came into this place. We should always remember that these peace officers every day are a cut above the rest of us, and they do represent everything that's good and fine and right about America. Later this week, not far from here, on the west side of the Capitol, there will be the families of the slain police officers in the United States. Surrounding them, in a group, will be thousands and thousands of peace officers in the United States, all wearing the uniform, wearing a badge that they wear above their heart and a black cloth across that badge. Those people stand in honor of those families that have lost loved ones who were peace officers that represented the rest of us and were killed in the line of duty. We owe them everything that we can say that is good and noble about their work. We honor them. We praise those that are in the line of duty. We remember those that were killed in the line of duty, and we also remember their families. Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1299 to support the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Every year, on May 15, we recognize the fallen peace officers from our communities that have given their lives in the line of duty. We can thank these men and women for upholding our laws and ensuring our safety, even in times of crisis. I am deeply humbled by the sacrifices of these brave men and women, and I express my condolences to their families for their loss. On January 6, 2009, Dallas lost one of our own police officers, Senior Cpl. Norman Stephen Smith, when he was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant. He died shortly before his 18th anniversary with the Dallas Police Department, and his knowledge and skill continue to be missed within his unit. With his death, Dallas lost a great man and a great police officer, and we will never forget his sacrifice for our community's wellbeing. My condolences go out to his wife, Regina Smith, and their two children. Mr. Speaker, Peace Officers Memorial Day is a day in which we honor some of our nation's bravest and most valiant men and [[Page 7800]] women. The work of police officers and other peace officers places them in danger almost on a daily basis, and I ask my fellow colleagues to join me today in supporting this resolution that honors our peace officers who have died in the line of duty. Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1299, which recognizes the men and women who have given their lives in the line of duty as law enforcement officers. This is an important measure that pays tribute to the selfless men and women who lost their lives as they worked to protect the American people. These brave individuals deserve our national gratitude for their sacrifice. I thank Chairman Conyers for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, Congressman Poe, for his dedication to ensuring that the men and women who protect our families and communities are honored for their bravery, service, and sacrifice. Careers in law enforcement are inherently dangerous and the men and women who decide to serve as police officers should be commended for their bravery. Today, there are more than 900,000 law enforcement officers in the United States who risk their lives every day to protect our communities. Following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, more than seventy law enforcement officers were killed while rescuing victims and restoring a sense of order during this time of national tragedy. September 11, 2001, was the deadliest day for law enforcement officers in the history of our nation. More than 18,600 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty throughout the history of the United States. These police officers were killed while responding to disturbance calls, making arrests in robberies, investigating suspicious circumstances, making traffic stops, and countless other efforts to protect the American people and ensure the safety of our communities. In my district in Long Beach, California, 28 police officers have died in the line of duty. In a Peace Officers Memorial Day tribute, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster eloquently stated, ``All of our officers and firefighters chose a profession where they could no longer sit still and proclaim that somebody should do something. Thinking about taking action and actually taking action is what separates the good from the great; the well intentioned from the heroes.'' I agree with Mayor Foster. Law enforcement officers are true American heroes. I salute the bravery and dedication of law enforcement officers at the Federal, State, and local levels. I extend my deepest sympathy to the loved ones of police officers who have been killed while working to protect the American people. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1299. Mr. POE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1299. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________