Kendra S. Horn: “last Friday's tragedy continues to haunt our Capitol Hill community and our Nation. For those of us who work every day…”

“last Friday's tragedy continues to haunt our Capitol Hill community and our Nation. For those of us who work every day under the protection provided by the Capitol Police, it is particularly disturbing and saddening. My condolences and prayers go out to the family members and friends of Officers J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson. Without Officer Chestnut and Special Agent Gibson, more lives would have been lost on Friday. They are heroes in every sense of the word and deserve our deepest gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice. One can only wish that the heroism and bravery of the Capitol Police force could have been brought to our Nation's attention under less tragic circumstances. The Capitol Police officers are our friends and colleagues. The protection of freedom is a goal we share with them. They work to ensure that Members of Congress can do their jobs without fear of intimidation or harm. On a more personal note, I have the highest appreciation for the Capitol Police for the assistance they have provided to me and my staff with great skill, courtesy, and professionalism. Few of us are asked to risk our lives in the performance of our daily job duties. All of our Nation's law enforcement officers face that risk of death every day. Each day, they leave their homes and families to go to work, knowing that they might not return home. They accept the risk of death as the price of our freedom and our ability to live in a peaceful society.”