National Police Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, this week America celebrates National Police Week. It is a time for us to stop and pay tribute to those who died in the line of duty defending our communities and to thank those who continue to serve our communities.

Law enforcement is a calling answered by a select few. These men and women have chosen a difficult and often dangerous life dedicated to keeping our communities safe, defending our civil liberties, and protecting our neighborhoods. These jobs, obviously, require tremendous courage and sacrifice, not just from the officers themselves but their families too, and I am grateful to those who selflessly serve our communities every day.

Under normal circumstances, the events of this week bring tens of thousands of uniformed officers to Washington, DC, from across the country. Through laying wreaths, candlelight vigils, and church services, they ordinarily gather in remembrance of their fallen brothers and sisters in person. In previous years, I have had the pleasure of welcoming a number of Texas officers and their families who have traveled to Washington, DC, for this National Police Week observation, but as in so many other ways, this year is not like previous ones.

Over the last year, our country has faced unprecedented heartbreak and turmoil, which have made a career in law enforcement even more challenging. First came the pandemic. While millions of Americans hunkered down in their homes to slow the spread of the virus, law enforcement personnel continued to lace up their boots and go to work every day.

With the spread of COVID-19 and the lack of proper personal protective equipment in the early stages of the pandemic, even simple interactions with members of the community carried risks.

At the same time, the stresses of the pandemic led to a surge of drug overdose deaths and an increase in family violence. And across the country, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of homicides.

When a deadly winter storm hit Texas in February, police officers took on even more responsibility. They worked around the clock to help folks without power or water, often while worrying about the safety of their own families.

For all the ways the last year has taught us to appreciate the unique role that law enforcement officers play in our communities, it has also put these men and women at the center of a tough, but necessary, national conversation about racial justice.

The killing of George Floyd shone a spotlight on issues in our justice system that absolutely must be rooted out and led to a national conversation about the need to do so.

There is no question we need to take action to improve transparency and accountability within our police forces.

We need to strengthen the relationship between police and the communities they serve. I believe everybody can agree on those points.

But as a country, we need to remember that the actions of a few do not define the masses, the rest of us. The vast majority of police officers are honorable, dedicated public servants who go above and beyond the call of duty to keep us safe and are committed to improving accountability and trust in police. There is a saying that nobody hates a bad cop worse than a good cop. Last summer, police officers in Dallas hosted a rally to show their support for the efforts to stop police brutality and racial injustice. We need to remember that, except for these occasional outliers, we are all on the same team, fighting for a justice system that keeps our communities safe and treats every person with dignity and respect.

For some, this movement has led to radical calls to defund or even abolish the police--two very dangerous ideas. Over the last year, we have seen an increase in violent crime in our country. Last year, major cities experienced a 33-percent increase in homicides--33 percent. The early data shows that things aren't getting any better this year. In fact, in too many places, things are getting worse.

This simply isn't the time, if there ever were a time, to strip local police departments of funding; rather, it is time to provide them with the resources and the policies they need to safely and justly protect our communities. I know we are having a lot of discussions across the aisle on the most effective way to do that, and I hope that this year, unlike last year, we will be able to make progress.

A job in law enforcement, as I suggested, is never easy. These men and women put on the uniform and leave their families, never knowing what the day ahead may entail. In the back of their minds, they have a question--whether this is the last time they will ever see their loved ones. Stopping a violent crime, helping a neighbor in crisis--you never know what a police encounter could bring.

Four months ago, Capitol Police officers certainly didn't anticipate what their jobs would require on January 6. This building was stormed by a violent mob who tried to threaten the very foundations of our democracy.

That day, as we know, this building was filled with Members of Congress, our staff, journalists, and countless men and women whom we count on to keep Congress running every day. Fortunately, that also includes the brave men and women of the Capitol Police Force. While protecting the people inside this building, Capitol Police officers were assaulted, threatened, and subjected to the violence of the mob for hours on end.

In the wake of this tragedy, the Capitol Police lost two of their colleagues, Officer Brian Sicknick and Officer Howard Liebengood. Last month, Capitol Police Officer Billy Evans was killed while protecting this institution.

I am grateful for the sacrifices law enforcement officers make every single day. This week, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. One of the most emblematic remembrances of that sacrifice is the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which sits along the National Mall here in Washington, DC. It is a beautiful tribute to the Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty and features marble walls filled with more than 21,000 names. Each of these names represents a hero, and, sadly, this year we added the names of 55 Texans who were killed in the line of duty last year.

These officers gave their all in service to our communities and to our country. Of course, there is nothing we can do to adequately thank these heroes and their families for their sacrifice, but we can take action to protect their brothers and sisters in blue.

In recent years, we have seen brutal, inexcusable attacks on police officers around the country, including one in Dallas that completely rocked our entire State. In 2016, a man killed five officers and injured nine others. It was a sobering reminder of the dangers these officers face every day and a call for us to take action to do more to support them.

Yesterday, I reintroduced the Back the Blue Act to make clear our support for the public servants who dedicated their lives to protecting our communities. This legislation sends a strong message to more than 800,000 law enforcement officers in our country that they are supported and that violence against them will not be tolerated.

The Back the Blue Act adds stiff, mandatory penalties, and it makes it a Federal crime to kill or attempt to kill a law enforcement officer, a Federal judge, or a federally funded public safety officer. It also makes it a Federal crime to assault a law enforcement officer. These men and women put themselves in harm's way every day, and we must make it clear that violence against them will never be tolerated.

Right now, there is a serious need to improve the relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and this legislation will help there too. It will allow grant funds to be used for efforts to help foster more trust between police and the communities they protect.

In light of the national conversation over the past year regarding the need to improve these relationships, this could not be more important. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation and show law enforcement across the country that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

I was also pleased this morning when a bill that I am leading with my colleague Senator Coons called the Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Officer and Employee Protection Act passed out of the Judiciary Committee. That bill came in response to an appellate court decision that reversed the convictions of cartel members who murdered a Federal agent and attempted to murder another one while those agents were fighting the cartels in Mexico. An appeals court held that the United States did not have jurisdiction to try the cartel members for the murder and attempted murder. This bill closes that loophole and states unequivocally that we can and will try and convict those who murder our law enforcement officers, even those serving outside the United States.

I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who courageously and honorably serve our communities every day. This week, we honor them and the generations of officers who came before them.

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