Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor National Police Week, and the brave, dedicated, and selfless heroes who work tireless long hours to keep the public safe in communities across this country. This is deeply personal to me, as someone whose own loved ones wear a badge, and as someone who worked for nearly 18 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department. So I want to take this moment to say thank you, not just to the men and women in uniform on our streets, but also to their counterparts in service who answer the call whenever someone dials 911. Dispatchers have a unique vantage on police work--they know how harrowing the situations police officers face are; how important police work is to people in their most vulnerable moments; and how committed officers are to serving the public. After all, dispatchers are the ones who answer those calls for help in the first place. But dispatchers also play a key role in keeping our officers safe. They gather situational awareness, so our officers know what to expect when they approach a scene; they send backup when more support is needed; and they send medical help if the unthinkable happens and an officer is hurt. So as we honor those who serve, let's also honor the people who keep them safe every step of the way. Public safety workers of all types are under new stresses right now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uptick in gun violence that is tragically endemic to the United States.…”