National Police Week: Blue Lives Matter

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the sheriff. I want to associate myself--I know we all do--with our colleague Mr. Gowdy's remarks. This is personal for so many.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of Pinellas County, Florida, the people in the State of Florida, who, if they were here in this Chamber tonight, would also want to associate themselves with the gratitude that fills this well, gratitude to law enforcement officers who each day do risk their lives. They risk their own security, they risk the stability of their family, and at times they risk the security of their children, knowing the risk that is on the line every day.

Mr. Speaker, the risk is very real. It is very audible. We know--it has been talked about tonight--that, on average, we lose a law enforcement officer once every 3 days in the line of duty. As Sheriff Reichert very rightfully pointed out, we also know the prevalence of assaults and injuries. By some accounts, more than one assault every single hour of every single day, 365 days of every single year. The risk is real.

We all have an opportunity, a privilege, to hold the public trust. When we sit in this Chamber, we represent fine men and women who wear the uniform. We represent multiple police departments, sheriff's departments, other law enforcement agencies. One of the great departments I have gotten the opportunity to work with since being a Member is the Clearwater Police Department--men and women of impeccable character, impeccable bravery, but also impeccable sacrifice, a department that dons the number 4 on their shirts to remember four law enforcement officers from their department who paid the ultimate sacrifice: Patrolmen Harry Conyers, Ronald Mahony, John Passer, and Peter Price.

So what can this body do in addition to paying tribute, on behalf of the people we represent, to those who serve in blue, our men and women in law enforcement? We can do what we are doing tonight, but we need to do it every single year. What we need in this town are Members of Congress and elected officials who stand with law enforcement.

Frankly, Mr. Speaker, I am sick and tired of people in this town who refuse to stand with law enforcement, who take cheap shots questioning the integrity of men and women who put their valor on the line, on display every single day. You want to make America safer? You want to solve civil unrest throughout the country? Let's stand with law enforcement. Let's say: Just as you have our back, we have yours.

The way to solve so many of these issues that we have seen on display on television in the last 2 years is to dispense with the rhetoric, dispense with the vitriol, dispense with the lies and the rumors and say: You know what? As a body, this Congress, this government is going to stand with our law enforcement officers each and every day.

There are two simple measures that I have introduced, and I am joined by colleagues, each who have other measures as well. There are a lot of good measures out there.

One we will be highlighting tomorrow in a national press conference is called the Thin Blue Line Act. It provides for enhanced penalties for anyone who assaults or takes the life of a police officer. We currently provide those additional protections for someone who attacks a child, an elderly person, a disabled person. I think we should take that model code and apply it to law enforcement officers as well and very simply say to somebody: If you take the life of a law enforcement officer, be prepared to lose your own.

Another piece of legislation I think we should move on is something that addresses some of the questions about the 1033 program to provide surplus equipment. This President has launched a war on local law enforcement by restricting the availability of equipment and technology for local law enforcement agencies. Why don't we trust the leadership and the judgment of our local law enforcement leaders, our chiefs, and our sheriffs to determine what equipment is necessary for their force?

I have legislation that would leave 1033 perfectly in place but simply require the local law enforcement agency to certify that they have personnel trained and capable of operating that equipment. It is the right way to stand with law enforcement and say we are going to make sure you have the tools and technology you need.

The risk is very real; the politics, at times, are absolutely disgusting. We may never be able to replace the loss of families whose fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters were lost in the line of duty; we may never be able to heal the wounds; but we can honor our law enforcement officers every day. It is what this body is attempting to do tonight. It is the commitment of my colleagues I stand here with to let law enforcement officers around the country know that, just as you have got our back, we have got yours.

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