Daca

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, the brave men and women of our law enforcement are facing an onslaught of violence, harassment, and abuse. They deserve better. These selfless individuals are true heroes who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities.

Right now, as Hurricane Sally moves across Florida's panhandle and Alabama, causing massive flooding and storm surge, law enforcement officials are working tirelessly to keep people safe. They are going out in these extremely dangerous conditions to rescue those in need.

We can never truly repay them for their service and their sacrifice. Throughout my 8 years as Governor, we lost 51 members of law enforcement in the line of duty, and you wouldn't believe the bravery of these individuals and the strength of the families and communities who support them.

As Governor and now Senator, supporting and investing in our law enforcement has always been a top priority. Because of our efforts, Florida has a 49-year low in our crime rate. Americans are moving to Florida in droves, not just for low taxes and great weather but because we have safe communities, and that is thanks to our hard-working law enforcement. That is why it is so disturbing to see the harassment, the insults, and the abuse from the liberal mob.

I remember what it was like for American soldiers coming back from Vietnam. Whether you agreed or disagreed with that war, the abuse and insults directed at our military men and women were disgusting and disgraceful. We are seeing the same thing today directed at our men and women in blue. It is just as disgraceful.

The radical left wants to defund the police--the most dangerous policy idea of my lifetime. Think about that for a minute. If you defund the police, who do you call when your house gets broken into? Who is going to patrol the streets to prevent drug trafficking and violence? Who is going to investigate murders and rapes and assaults and robberies? Who is going to protect our schools? We only have to turn on our TVs for the answer.

Over the past several months, rioters and thugs, filled with hate inspired by this goal of defunding the police, have turned their words into violent action in cities across this great country--throwing homemade bombs at officers and setting fire to police stations.

We have watched Democratic mayors and Governors turn their backs on law-and-order and try to pretend that these violent demonstrations are somehow peaceful, and their partners in the media have helped.

This past weekend, we saw another horrific act of senseless violence as two sheriff's deputies in Los Angeles were ambushed by a deranged gunman. In the evening, rioters surrounded the hospital where the deputies were fighting for their lives and chanted ``We hope they die.'' We hope they die? We should all be denouncing this heinous act-- all of us--and praying for the speedy and full recovery of the deputies. We should all be denouncing the cruel, heartless, and frankly pathetic disregard for human life that was clearly evident from these protesters.

This anti-police mentality is raging in American cities and threatening the future of America as we know it. Our law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, and we can't let these acts of violence continue.

We can all agree that reforms need to be made. That is why it is so unbelievable that my Democratic colleagues refuse to even debate the police reform bill led by Senator Scott of South Carolina. Instead of actually doing something and having a chance at providing healing to our Nation, Senate Democrats turned their backs on our law enforcement.

But we can't let the radical left use the crimes of a few bad actors to demonize good, hard-working police officers--officers like Sergeant Adrian Rodriguez and Sergeant James Henry of the Lakeland Police Department. They began the department's Neighborhood Program over 6 years ago and lead two outstanding teams of officers who do everything from reading at the local kindergarten classes to assisting a SWAT team with the service of high-risk drug warrants. No matter the assignment, their teams work nonstop to build community pride in the citizens' police department.

Officer Jimmie Bizzle of the Tampa International Airport Police Department is dedicated to bettering his community and supporting individuals who experience homelessness. He trains his colleagues on how to connect homeless individuals with the resources and services they need.

Corporal Margo Fergusson of the Tampa Police Department spent years of her career defending and protecting children by investigating crimes in the department's Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit, working tirelessly to hold offenders accountable. During the pandemic, she has been working with her fellow officers and local schools to disbursing food to families who might need a helping hand.

Detective Michelle Mahoney of the Clearwater Police Department is part of the department's Refuse to Lose Program, which engages the faith-based community with youth offenders to help them succeed and stay on a good path, offering services like tutoring, employment, and mental health help. She is known for her empathy, understanding, and compassion for her community.

Instead of attacking and defunding the police and starving these hard-working men and women of the resources they need to do their job, we need to do the opposite. We need to fund the police. We need to recognize and support the individuals who have worked so hard to make our Nation the safe America we know and love. We need to reject dangerous proposals that threaten our communities and strip the safety we hold dear. It is time to stand up and say ``enough.'

Defunding the police is un-American and the antithesis of the values that make America great. Police officers across the country risk their lives every day to keep people safe, and they deserve our appreciation. They uphold their oath to serve and protect.

Today, I am introducing a Senate resolution to condemn the widespread violence, the hatred and vilification of law enforcement, and express our unwavering support for the brave men and women in uniform who protect us.

I am proud to have Senator Daines here today and thank him for his unwavering commitment to law enforcement and for joining us today. We ask that all of our colleagues join us in support.

To the sheriffs, police chiefs, sheriff's deputies, police officers, highway patrol, State troopers, Federal marshals, and many other law enforcement officials who serve in Florida and across the country, thank you. It is time that you get the respect you deserve, and I won't accept anything less.

Mr. President, at this time I would like to yield to my colleague from Montana.

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, first, I want to thank my colleague from Montana for his unwavering support for law enforcement. It is hard to believe that in a State like Montana, which is so supportive of law enforcement, there would be any city that would be thinking about reducing their police budget. It shouldn't be happening around the country.

I am honored to stand here today to support our brave law enforcement and say enough is enough. We are not going to tolerate violence, attacks, and vilification of our law enforcement. I am proud to introduce the Back the Blue resolution today. Res. 697, submitted earlier today.

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. That is exactly what my resolution does. Why, then, would my colleague object to my resolution and propose his own to accomplish the same thing?

At first, his resolution appears to resemble my own. I note, however, that my resolution condemns not only the cowardly attacks of this past week on the Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies but also condemns the rhetoric and policies that have incited this recent spike in targeted violence against law enforcement. My colleague's resolution makes no such condemnation.

My resolution calls out the radical politicians, reckless media figures, and organized protest movements that have sought to vilify law enforcement officers as a whole and incite, encourage, or celebrate widespread criminal activity and violence against law enforcement officers. My colleague's resolution is silent about this.

My resolution calls out the radical politicians for pursuing a dangerous campaign to defund the police and starving law enforcement agencies of much needed resources to combat the crime wave sweeping through our communities. My colleague's resolution makes no such condemnation.

We have to be honest about what is happening here and across our great country. We have rioters chanting ``Let them die'' outside a hospital caring for two police officers who were violently attacked. ``Let them die''?

Americans have the right to peacefully protest, and I support that right. But that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about acts of violence against law enforcement, families, and businesses. My colleague's proposal takes out all references to this bad behavior.

Expressing support for law enforcement without condemning the people and groups who are perpetrating, instigating, and celebrating the violent acts committed against law enforcement officers is not enough. We can't be afraid to condemn violence against law enforcement and the defund police movement. I have no such fear.

Those radical politicians, reckless media figures, and organized protest movements deserve to be condemned for inciting, committing, and celebrating acts of violence against law enforcement. I stand firmly behind my resolution and behind our Nation's law enforcement.

If my colleague would be willing to work with me, we may be able to find common ground to ensure any resolution includes language that firmly denounces the violence and the causes of that violence in our communities, but my colleague's resolution does not go far enough, so I therefore respectfully object.

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