Don Bacon: “I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), our distinguished representative from Florida, my good friend, for…”

“I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), our distinguished representative from Florida, my good friend, for yielding some time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6580, the Kerrie Orozco First Responders Act. This legislation, named after a fallen Omaha police officer, Kerrie Orozco, is a first responders bill that will give our heroes peace of mind every day when they leave their home for work to keep us safe. This legislation is simple, common sense, and compassionate. Under current law, the surviving family members of first responders who have pending immigration applications face delays in the naturalization process. This could weigh heavily on our first responders because of the undue burden upon them as they protect our communities. Should they be killed, would their family members who are not U.S. citizens lose their ability to remain in the country? This legislation would allow the immediate relatives of first responders who die in the line of duty to continue to process their immigration application in a timely manner despite the death of their loved one. We owe it to our first responders to ensure their family is taken care of should they pay the ultimate sacrifice of keeping our citizens safe. Supporting this bill will protect those who protect us and it will give them peace of mind.…”