Political Quotes

“Mr. President, as we end Police Week, I wish to pay tribute to the police officers across the country who serve their communities with steadfast dedication. In particular, I rise to honor three brave New Jersey law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty last year. In 1962, President Kennedy first proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and he proclaimed the calendar week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. These designations pay special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and includes a number of events that brings together thousands of law enforcement professionals and families to our nations' capital. On this Police Week, I reflected on the nearly 400 new names inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. Of these names, at least 139 were killed last year, and roughly 250 were earlier deaths that had slipped through the cracks of history. The total number of names on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will increase to more than 21,000, dating back to the first known officer fatality in 1791. It is a deeply upsetting fact that, on average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 58 hours. We can and should do better than this, and we owe it to these brave men and women to give them the necessary tools and training to protect themselves.…”