On the recordNovember 28, 2017
I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for being a leading voice on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, which I am proud to cosponsor with my friend and colleague, Representative Susan Brooks from Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank all of my colleagues for their support on this very important issue. Our law enforcement officers respond to some of the most horrific scenes and situations. After 27 years in law enforcement, how well I know. They respond without regard to their own personal safety, and they are the thin blue line that stands between a safe place and the dangers that lurk in our society. We should all thank God for the men and women who patrol our streets, our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, and our highways to keep us safe. Being a law enforcement officer is not just what they do, it is who they are--all the dangers, the unknowns, the graphic crime scenes, split-second, life-and-death decisions. Don't be fooled. There is no other job quite like it. The national president of the Fraternal Order of Police said this: ``Unlike many other professions, sometimes you can't leave the job at the office.'' Mr. Speaker, as a former law enforcement officer, I am proud to cosponsor the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act.…
