Nebraska Loves its Law Enforcement

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, as National Law Enforcement Day approaches, I rise today to salute our men and women who keep our communities safe each and every day.

It wasn't long ago that law enforcement was almost universally respected in America. The blue uniform was a symbol not just of law and order but also of community peace and harmony. Policemen and policewomen belonged among the most trusted community members, alongside nurses, teachers, firefighters, and postal workers.

However, something happened in 2020. Antipolice riots erupted in communities across the country. Places like Seattle, Minneapolis, and Chicago were besieged by violence. Violent protestors set up a law enforcement-free zone in Seattle known as CHAZ.

Civil unrest in Minneapolis led to one-half billion dollars' worth of damage while city leadership failed to keep order after George Floyd's death. Folks looked at the Magnificent Mile in Chicago while the world watched America burn.

Nevertheless, this destruction wasn't tolerated in Nebraska.

When disorder erupted in two of our major cities, then-Governor Pete Ricketts cracked down. He deployed State patrol and National Guard members to assist communities and protected businesses and homeowners.

Since the national unrest in 2020, Nebraska has doubled down on our commitment to supporting our men and women in blue. While some States have repealed traditional protections for law enforcement, Nebraska has maintained qualified immunity. This is critical to ensuring law enforcement officers can do their jobs without the threat of frivolous lawsuits or complaints.

Last year, before I came to Congress, I was the proud cosponsor of the Law Enforcement Attraction and Retention Act in the Nebraska legislature. This bill provides a variety of cash incentives for individual officers to help law enforcement agencies retain their workforce. It received almost unanimous approval from that body.

This year--and I want to double down on this--the legislature in Nebraska passed the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act. It covers 100 percent of tuition for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and their children who want to get a college degree from a community college or a State college or university. We are the first State in the Nation to give police officers, their families, and their children free college, recognizing that what they do is important and that it is needed.

If someone is living in one of those places where law enforcement is under attack, I want them to look at Nebraska. Look at what we can do for them and their family. We have a variety of opportunities available in law enforcement. The Nebraska State Patrol is the finest statewide agency in the Nation led by an outstanding colonel, John Bolduc.

Our two biggest cities have fantastic large agencies that provide lots of opportunities to advance. If someone likes to hunt, we can help them there, too.

We have lots of opportunities in smaller agencies, mid-size communities, a plethora of opportunity.

There is truly an opportunity in Nebraska for every law enforcement officer, and it comes with a low cost of living and competitive salaries. Our communities need police officers. Rural communities need police officers. We are doing what we can in Nebraska to make it as attractive to people across the country as humanly possible.

As we honor our peace officers on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, I invite anyone working in the profession to consider my great State as they think about their career and what is best for their family and know that Nebraskans support them. We salute their work; we wish them all the best as they continue to protect communities and the good life across our country.

May God bless our law enforcement, and may God bless the United States of America.

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