On the recordMay 16, 2018
I thank Chairman Goodlatte and Representative Nadler for their support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5698, the Protect and Serve Act of 2018. This important bill will enhance penalties for anyone who intentionally causes harm to our law enforcement officers. I can tell you after dedicating 40 years of my life to law enforcement, I know what officers go through every day when they put that uniform on, say goodbye to their families, and walk out the door to protect their communities. Sadly, we have seen a recent rash in increase in violence against officers, especially in ambush-style attacks. In fact, just last month in Florida, Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey were eating lunch and were specifically targeted and assassinated in that restaurant simply because they were police officers and wore that blue uniform. They are not alone. So far this year, 87 law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty, 28 of whom ultimately lost their lives. Mr. Speaker, this is a 75-percent increase over last year. For this reason, I introduced bipartisan legislation with my good friend and former Orlando police chief, Representative Val Demings, that will ensure that there are the strongest possible penalties for anyone who decides to target and harm not only Federal law enforcement officers but also local and State law enforcement officers.…
