On the recordMay 14, 2014
I wish to say a few words about National Police Week. I am pleased to be able to cochair with the Presiding Officer and the Senator from Delaware Mr. Coons the Law Enforcement Caucus which we founded when we came to the Senate together. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the National Blue Alert Act that Senator Cardin talked about, and I would like to see that done. I think we can do things to provide more safety and security for local police officers as we have done for the fire grants, all those things that followed 911. As I was listening, I was thinking about how much we benefit every day from the Capitol Police. We walk by them in their positions securing these buildings and standing in the way of harm, and we often forget they are there for that purpose. When others are able to look for a safer place to be, our police officers run to where the danger is. They stand between us and that danger. In the time I have been here, two of our Capitol police officers have been killed in the building on duty, one just a few feet away from where my office would be in the next Congress. They were there for us. I remember on 9/11 leaving the building with every reason to believe this building could be and perhaps was going to be an immediate target to our enemies attacking us that day. I remember walking out of the building as the Capitol Police were insisting we get out of the building and looking over my shoulder and seeing they were all still in the building.…
