Bruce F. Vento: “I rise, as many of my colleagues have, to pay tribute to the two fallen Capitol Police officers Detective Gibson and…”

“I rise, as many of my colleagues have, to pay tribute to the two fallen Capitol Police officers Detective Gibson and Officer Chestnut that so valiantly have demonstrated, I think more than anything, the importance of their work and the meaning of this Capitol Building. These buildings are the citadel of free expression and the rule of law, our Nation's Capitol; but beyond the symbolism and those flags that are today flying at half mast and the buildings and other structures, and is the liberty and freedom and the ideas that live in the hearts and minds of this Nation's pulse. These two individuals that have sacrificed their lives obviously symbolize and exemplify the real meaning of this Nation and the real sacrifice and contribution the essence of our common bond and the cost of freedom that we pledge to one another that has made up our Nation in the past, today, and, we pray, tomorrow the democracy that it is. We extend our sympathies to the families, but celebrate their lives because they made a real difference and mourn the families losses today.”