Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Maloney for all of her efforts to bring this important bill to the floor of this House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. He was my constituent, and he was killed in the line of duty nearly a year ago today on September 27, 2019.

As we reach this sad anniversary for our community, I am grateful that this bill to pay tribute to Deputy Dhaliwal's lasting impact on our community is on the floor of the House today. This legislation will designate the postal facility on Addicks Howell Road in Texas' Seventh Congressional District as the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building.

Deputy Dhaliwal was widely regarded as a role model for Americans of all faiths wishing to serve their communities. He was the first observant Sikh to serve in the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and he was also one of the first officers in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to practice his religion while serving as a police officer.

As my colleagues have noted, he was born in Punjab, India, but his parents soon decided to emigrate to Houston where Mr. Dhaliwal grew deep roots.

He did have a successful business, but seeking to build a bridge between law enforcement and the Sikh community and the greater Houston community, he joined the Harris County Sheriff's Office, first as a detention officer in 2009 and one year later he was deputized and graduated to the rank of patrol deputy.

He was assigned to district 5 which covers much of northwest Harris County, an area he would patrol for the rest of his career. Through his years of service, he improved law enforcement's cultural understanding of Sikhs and was an outstanding example of the tireless contributions that religious minorities and marginalized communities make to our country.

Deputy Dhaliwal was also known to have a giving heart, coordinating relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey and traveling to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to help a colleague's relatives.

He volunteered countless hours for Sikh communities across the Nation serving as the director of homeland security for United Sikhs, helping to advise Sikh communities on dealing with potential hate crime threats, and advocating for their religious rights.

Deputy Dhaliwal is survived by his wife and three young children. He represented the very best of our community. He worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others. The senseless slaying of Deputy Dhaliwal is a solemn reminder of the risks assumed by police officers daily in serving and protecting our communities.

Renaming this post office facility in his honor will serve as a permanent reminder of Deputy Dhaliwal's commitment to and sacrifice for the community that he lived in and served. It will show that we stand in solidarity with the people of Houston, of Harris County, and the Sikh community across the country as they celebrate the life and mourn of loss of this remarkable and selfless hero.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Maloney for her support of this important bill, I thank my colleagues in Texas for joining me unanimously in bringing it forward as cosponsors, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' in favor of the bill.

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