Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Police Week, a week we set aside to honor the brave men and women who tirelessly work to protect us and keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, their jobs are becoming more and more difficult, more and more stressful, and as a result, they need our support now more than ever. Over the last 2 years, violent crime in this Nation has soared. Nationally, we saw a 30 percent increase in murders from 2019 to 2020, which is the largest increase during a single year in our Nation's history. That troubling trend continues in 2021 with FBI data indicating that homicides rose another 5 percent in the Nation's 22 largest cities over the already inflated levels of 2020. Overall, in those 22 cities, homicides are up 44 percent since 2019. Think of that--44 percent. Not surprisingly, these disturbing increases have accompanied calls in many cities, including in my hometown of Cincinnati, to defund the police. Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, that is the last thing that we should be doing during a violent crime surge. That is why the legislation that we are considering today is a welcome bipartisan step in the right direction. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and corrections officers are frequently called to respond to dangerous and often traumatic situations. As a result, these officers are at a greater risk of developing stress and trauma-related disorders.…”