Back the Blue
Floor Speech
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to show an army of congressional leaders who back the blue. I rise to show our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and Americans across the country that we won't back down when it comes to supporting our men and women in uniform.
Since my time in Congress began just over 1 year ago, I have made it my mission to show not just in words but also in action that our LEOs across the country have a thin blue line army that won't back down, that won't quit, and that will always have their six.
Today, we rise to honor the heroes in our midst, the everyday public servants who get up daily to don the badge, run into harm's way, moving towards danger and working hard to keep us all safe.
Amid efforts to defund our police, leading to a rise in crime with no response from elected officials nationwide or from this administration; amid phony bail reform efforts that do nothing to keep dangerous criminals behind bars; amid an opioid crisis with record levels of drugs pouring into our communities, perpetuated by the crisis at our southern border--because we all know that you cannot defend your hometowns if you cannot protect the homeland--amid dangerous rhetoric spread by the ill-informed; amid increasing levels of vitriol for this profession, these real heroes, well, they show up.
Madam Speaker, I stood on this floor in March of last year as my Democrat colleagues passed a bill to defund police. They defunded police. Now, that night, I challenged my colleagues across the aisle to a ride-along. Not a single one--not one--took me up on my offer.
Instead, my team and I set out to do the ride-alongs that my colleagues would not. And wow, did we learn a lot. Whether it was domestic violence, robbery, battery, violent brawls, drunk drivers, drug busts--everything in between--these ride-alongs proved it. These men and women who wear the badge, they are amazing. They are imperfect beings doing the toughest of jobs with the best of intentions. They are criticized, demonized, and vilified, and yet, they continue to answer the call in the face of it all.
Madam Speaker, 2021 was the deadliest year on record for members of the law enforcement community--the deadliest. Next to me, you see the names of all those that we lost. You probably can't see the names very well or even care to read them. There is 458 of them--the poster isn't even big enough to accommodate all of the names. That is 458 families shattered forever. That is 458 departments forever changed. That is 458 lives lost.
As the wife of a first responder, I know all too well that feeling of twists and turns and pain that comes when a SWAT callout has come out. I know what it is like to sit at the kitchen table and wait for the call, the text letting me know that the callout is over and that my husband is on his way back to the department or to the station.
I know what it is like, and that is perhaps why I stand here today more resolved than ever to stand in defense and in support of those who protect and serve every day. To the spouses of our men and women in law enforcement, know that you have a friend and sister in this fight. Know that your service alongside your partner is just as valuable and important to all those across the country. Whether you call yourself a deputy or an officer, an LEO spouse or family member, the message is simple: My colleagues and I, we see you, we hear you, we support you, and we will always have your six.
To those who seek to divide, defund, and disparage, know that every attempt that you make to hurt our LEOs and defund our departments, it will only be in vain. Your efforts to make our communities less safe will fail. Your efforts to hurt our families will falter. My colleagues and I, we will make sure of it.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman and my friend and colleague from the great State of Minnesota.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), my friend and colleague.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the great State of Texas. I am proud to call him friend. Thank you for honoring this incredible patriot.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), my friend and colleague from the Sunshine State.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the Sunshine State.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), my friend and colleague.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), my friend and colleague.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Sheriff Rutherford.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), a champion for our law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Burgess for his steadfast support for law enforcement.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline), who is my friend and a supporter of law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague from the Sunshine State of Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), who is a champion for law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from the freedom State, Florida, for his remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), who is the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and a fellow patriot and ardent supporter of law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from the great State of Illinois for his impassioned and accurate remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), who is my good friend.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), my friend and colleague, a champion for our law enforcement officers.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Newhouse for his comments.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), a friend and colleague, and a champion for our law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Keller for his comments.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my friend and colleague.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Wisconsin for his comments.
It is my pleasure to yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), my friend and a champion for law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Georgia for those words.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy), my friend and colleague.
Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, over the last year, our law enforcement officers have been faced with targeted attacks, skyrocketing crime rates, and decimated budgets.
Madam Speaker, despite these challenges, our law enforcement officers continue to protect and serve our communities with unwavering bravery, sacrifice, and selflessness.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent so many incredible law enforcement officers in eastern North Carolina, all of whom put themselves at risk each day so that the rest of us can live in safe, secure communities.
Madam Speaker, Deputy Zachary Bellingham, a former U.S. Marine and deputy for the Craven County Sheriff's Office, in my district, is no exception.
On October 21, 2021, Deputy Bellingham sustained life-threatening injuries while performing a wellness check in New Bern, North Carolina, when he was shot in the line of duty. Following his injuries, he was taken to Carolina East Medical Center, airlifted to Greenville, and received emergency surgery. He was then transferred to Shepherd's Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, where he has shown strong perseverance in his rehabilitation.
The conduct and actions of Deputy Bellingham embody the values of a true American hero. Madam Speaker, his brave actions on that fateful day highlight the very best of our law enforcement and all they do to protect our communities. I am so relieved to know that Deputy Bellingham is in good care and continuing his road to recovery.
After his injury, members of our community quickly rallied around Deputy Bellingham, offering him well-wishes in support of his recovery.
His service, Madam Speaker, is one we all honor and appreciate, and I am grateful to represent such a compassionate and caring community in eastern North Carolina.
Madam Speaker, please join us in expressing our sincere gratitude to not only this deputy but all law enforcement officers for their commitment to keeping us and our families safe each and every day.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), my friend and colleague and a champion of law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague for being a continual champion for our law enforcement officers.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), my friend and colleague and a champion for law enforcement.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of California for continuing to be a champion for our police departments and law enforcement officers.
Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, it is pretty challenging to be standing in a room that, from the view of C-SPAN, is filled. But I can tell you right now that it is just you and me, Madam Speaker, as well as my colleague from the Sunshine State, Representative Rutherford, behind me, as well as some of our fantastic staff here on the House floor.
I think it is time that we stop playing these partisan games and really come together because this truly is a bipartisan issue. This is an issue that affects our communities as a whole, and I think if we are going to call for responsibility, actions, and words, we should start in this Chamber.
I have a quote here that I wanted to read from one of our colleagues. It says: ``I am going to make sure that I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life, and I have too much work to do. There are too many people that need help right now. So, if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend $10 more on it, you know what? I get to be here to do the work. So suck it up, and defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets because we are trying to save lives.'' Madam Speaker, those are your words.
See, when I was homeless about a decade ago, I wasn't privileged enough to have $200,000 to spend on private security. In fact, it was a comfort knowing that at any moment, in some of the toughest situations that were happening around us--violence, abuse--that a quick call to 911 would result in someone coming to help. We had nothing but the reassurance that on the other end of that line, someone was coming to help, someone was willing to answer the call.
I know that there is far more in this country that unites us than divides us, but I cannot tell you how disappointed I am as we have stood here for the last hour reciting stories of heroism, of selflessness--if I had time, I would recite the names of our fallen officers, but I simply haven't enough time. And, quite frankly, Madam Speaker, you haven't even looked up off your phone.
To Americans who are watching this, know that there are people in this Congress who do give a damn, who will look up off their phone, who are not too bothered to listen. We will not stop fighting. We will continue to back the blue.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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