Political Quotes

“I rise today in support of a bill that I am introducing on behalf of a bipartisan group of Senators, the Officer Safety Act of 2012, S. 2276. This bill allows a Federal law enforcement agent, who stops a violent crime while off-duty and is indicted in a State court for those actions, to petition for the State criminal prosecution against him to be removed to Federal court. The bill effectuates this change by amending the Federal removal statute, found in 28 United States Code, Section 1442, to clarify when a Federal law enforcement officer is acting under the color of his office. As a 2003 Judiciary Committee report stated, ``Law enforcement officers are never `off-duty.' '' Many are required to carry an off- duty weapon. When they fly on personal business, they are expected to carry their weapon and check-in with the airline as a Federal law enforcement agent so they can defend the pilots and passengers if something bad happens. In fact, Federal agents are specifically paid to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Agents can be disciplined if they are not available when called. They are not even allowed to engage in activities on their personal time that regular citizens take for granted, like coaching their kids' sports teams, if it might interfere with their ability to respond to a crisis. Federal law enforcement agents are extensively trained, at the expense of the taxpayer for the benefit of the taxpayer.…”