Michelle Fischbach: “I thank Mr. Williams for putting together this Special Order this evening, and I thank Cait Hoosock for being here…”

“I thank Mr. Williams for putting together this Special Order this evening, and I thank Cait Hoosock for being here today. I am so deeply sorry for your loss and the loss of Officer Jensen. Every day, our law enforcement officers leave for work, and their families can never be certain if they will return home. Know that I am grieving with you and praying for you and your family. The increase in violence we have seen against law enforcement in recent years is unacceptable. As Mr. Stauber mentioned, this year in Minnesota, two officers and a firefighter were killed when a man they were negotiating with opened fire without warning. Last year, in my district, Deputy Josh Owen was killed when responding to a domestic violence call. His name will be added to the memorial next week. Mr. Speaker, the attack on law enforcement must stop. All of these officers gave their lives protecting their communities. Every time we hear another story like this, our hearts break all over again. Our law enforcement deserves our gratitude and our respect. I am so disappointed to see many people, including some in this Chamber, trying to make our brave officers into villains. I stand in support of law enforcement, and my Republican colleagues, like you have seen this evening, are doing everything we can to pass legislation to protect and thank our officers. I know that, because of this disgusting movement of hatred toward our officers, we must, but our voices need to be strong.…”