OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Invest to Protect Act of 2022

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 22, 2022
Location: Washington, DC

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with Mr. Jordan's sentiments, and I might even take an even stronger and more critical opposition to these so-called law enforcement bills. I certainly don't want to impugn the motive of every colleague on the other side of the aisle, but here are my strong views, and this is my position on behalf of west Texas:

Since the riots of 2020, I have been warning my Democratic colleagues that we get what we tolerate. After 2 years of Democrats' amplifying defund the police rhetoric, failing to hold criminals accountable, and refusing to condemn the lawlessness that is running rampant in our cities across the country, crime is absolutely out of control.

Last year, a record number of police officers were killed. Seventy- three American heroes lost their lives. Law enforcement has experienced a staggering 115 percent increase in ambush-style attacks. Further evidence of the left's war on law enforcement is that police have seen a 45 percent increase in retirements and a 20 percent increase in resignations, leaving the most vulnerable Americans even more susceptible to being victimized by criminals.

Now the party of defund the police wants to push through some face- saving bills just ahead of the election in November. Call me cynical, but that is unbelievable, Mr. Speaker.

This legislation would expand the Federal bureaucracy unnecessarily, take over the responsibility of local governments, and add even more strings to Federal funding for the Biden administration or future administrations to impose their woke agenda and unrelated progressive policies on the American people.

Mr. Speaker, these are not real solutions to the crime epidemic in America. These are political machinations to give the appearance of being supportive of law enforcement. These are a Texas-sized fig leaf to cover the Democrat left's reckless policies and dangerous rhetoric that have encouraged crime, have only coddled criminals, and have created a culture of lawlessness in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I condemn all of that, and I urge my colleagues on both sides to vote ``no'' on this bill and the whole lot of these bills that are really just political window dressing.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward