Back the Blue

Floor Speech

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Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Rutherford for putting on this hour. He served with honor. I thank him for continuing to lead in fighting for law enforcement in our Conference.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the many law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our communities. Every year, men and women from across this country decide to serve on a police force. They do it because they have a unique and noble desire to protect their family, friends, and communities. They have a willingness to put the safety of others before themselves. They believe in law and order and that justice will prevail against evil.

These are good, honorable, and noble people, and we are lucky to have them.

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Mr. STAUBER. Every day, these men and women put on their uniform, kiss their families good-bye, and head to work without certainty they will return home that night.

If you ask the spouse of any law enforcement officer, what is the greatest sound in the world? They will tell you when their loved one takes the bullet-resistant vest off in the morning after duty and it scratches like Velcro and it wakes them up. They know their loved one is home from a night of hard work. They know their loved one arrived home safe.

Unfortunately, many never have heard that sound. As of this April, 99 officers have been shot in the line of duty this year and 10 have given their life. It is clear the dangers of the job are huge, but they are an accepted part of this profession.

What disgusts me, however, is the 27 ambush-style attacks. Law enforcement officers are intentionally being targeted and attacked in the streets simply because they wear the uniform and serve their communities. This is unacceptable and must stop.

In this Chamber, we must lead by example. We must respect the rule of law. We must thank and stand with our law enforcement officers. We must call on others to do so, as well. Only then will we truly honor the memory of those we have lost.

As a police officer for 23 years, it is my privilege to speak about the law enforcement profession and the men and women who wear the blue and the brown. They are some of the greatest people I have ever known. I will use my time in Congress to honor them the best I can.

We must not forget the family members of the men and women who serve, the Luke Delanos that are out there, the children of the family members that worry about mom or dad or brother and sister. We must also know that they are concerned that their loved one comes home alive at the end of their shift.

My time in uniform may be over, but my watch will never end. God bless the men and women in the blue and brown and their families.

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