José E. Serrano: “Mr. Chairman, I feel that this is one issue that is going to be very hard for the other side to cover up. They can be…”

“Mr. Chairman, I feel that this is one issue that is going to be very hard for the other side to cover up. They can be tough on crime all they want, they can say all they wish to say on all the talk shows, but it is going to be hard for them to explain why they are turning their backs on local communities and turning their backs on cops. This is the simplest issue to understand. If you believe that we have to do something about crime, then we have to help the people on the front lines, and that is the police officers in our communities. They continue to say that they are for fighting crime, but now they have the opportunity, and what do they do? They turn against a good program, a program that can only be restored through this amendment. That is why I rise in support of this amendment for police officers, against this decision to turn our backs on them, and to say that this is an amendment we can vote for. They may control a lot of talk shows, but they will not control public opinion when they turn their backs on the police departments in our communities. And lastly, they will gain a Presidential veto, and on cops the communities will stay with us on that issue.”