Thanking Our Nation's Peace Officers

Statement

Thanking Our Nation's Peace Officers

Nestled in a quiet corner of Washington D.C. between the National Building Museum and the District of Colombia federal courthouse, a quiet memorial stands in remembrance of some of our bravest citizens.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was dedicated in 1991 to honor America's federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel. Its walls bear the names of more than 17,500 officers killed in the line of duty, dating back to the first known death in 1792.

Every May, the nation honors the men and women who paid the ultimate price. It is a time to recognize the contributions of more than 900,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who serve this nation and the thousands who have lost their lives.

Recently, the House of Representatives passed H.Res. 1132, a resolution honoring police officers at every level who were killed or disabled in the line of duty. Each and every day, police officers put their safety on the line, but too often their critical work goes overlooked or underappreciated. I fully supported the resolution, and I'm proud of the heroes it honors.

But Congress must do more than pass non-binding resolutions. We must give our law enforcement officials the resources they need to do their jobs.

Earlier this year, I joined with a number of my colleagues requesting funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. The Byrne-JAG program, which supports multi-jurisdictional task forces across the nation, was drastically reduced by 67 percent in the 2008 Omnibus Act from $520 million to $170.4 million.

This program supports and enables state and local leaders to leverage resources in key areas, leading to increased collaboration among law enforcement, corrections, treatment, and prevention programs.

Particularly in rural areas, there is a critical need for this program. Drug use in Nebraska continues to be a pressing problem, and I truly appreciate the men and women who are battling against the scourge of drugs throughout our nation.

The majority of meth labs in the U.S. are small producers, often making the drug in their home or abandoned properties using stolen or easily purchased consumer and agricultural products.

In April, I had the opportunity to tour the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) training facility in Quantico, Virginia. The training facility is designed to prepare local law enforcement agents to deal with specific hazards surrounding small, clandestine methamphetamine labs. More than 100 law enforcement officers from Nebraska have taken part in the training.

At Quantico, I had the chance to meet with DEA experts who explained the methods used to remove pseudoephedrine (a key ingredient in the manufacture of meth) from cold and allergy medicine, as well as the different methods for producing meth from the pseudoephedrine and the dangers inherent with each procedure.

Last year, I introduced the Methamphetamine Kingpin Elimination Act, which increases penalties for drug kingpin offenses and authorizes an additional $20 million for multi-jurisdictional meth task forces. The new funding would go toward promoting community-based meth task forces.

Thousands of Americans from all walks of life owe their lives to the actions of the brave men and women in uniform who protect us. Each day, law enforcement officers ensure our laws are enforced and our communities are safe.

It is fitting the pathway to the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is guarded by a statue of a lion protecting its cubs. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our police officers, DEA agents, sheriffs and all the men and women who risk their lives protecting ours.

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