John Rutherford: “I thank my good friend and neighbor from Georgia for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand up for the lives of…”

“I thank my good friend and neighbor from Georgia for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand up for the lives of our Nation's law enforcement officers. I spent over 40 years of my life in law enforcement, including 12 as sheriff. I dedicated my life to protecting minorities in Florida communities and doing my absolute best to ensure that all of my officers went home safely to their families. Sadly, we still lost good men and women in the line of duty. And there is no doubt that law enforcement is a dangerous profession, and every officer that puts on that badge knows the risk that they take. But one thing is certain, these risks are growing significantly-- increased, thanks to the growing anti-police rhetoric we are seeing across the country, making their jobs more dangerous now than ever before. Mr. Speaker, I urge defeat of the previous question so that we can consider H.R. 1325, the Protect and Serve Act. The lead cosponsor of my legislation is Congresswoman Val Demings, a career police officer and former Orlando police chief. It is not a controversial bill, and it is one that many, many, of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle support. In fact, last Congress, this bill overwhelming passed the House by a vote of 382-35. Like Congresswoman Demings, I know what officers go through every day when they put on their uniform, say goodbye to their families, and head out to do the important work of protecting our communities.…”