On the recordJanuary 24, 2025
Mr. President, I join my colleagues in celebrating the career of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Mark Gazelle, who is retiring in January after 34 years of service with the force. Joining the U.S. Capitol Police in 1991, Officer Gazelle was first assigned to the Capitol Division, First Responders Specialty Unit, before he joined the Mountain Bike Unit. He joined the Senate Chamber Section in 1995 as a plainclothes officer, where he served the remainder of his career on the section. Officer Gazelle has taken command during multiple events as the Senate floor officer and has been instrumental in training and mentoring newer officers and staff around the Chamber. Officer Gazelle has served in the U.S. Capitol Police Ceremonial Unit, where he rose through the ranks to become the assistant commander of the unit. The Ceremonial Unit is activated in high-profile congressional events, to include Presidential inaugurations, Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies, statue dedications, and lying in state ceremonies. Officer Gazelle showed an unwavering commitment to keeping others safe, and these Halls undoubtedly remained safer because of his service. Officer Gazelle represents everything that is great about our country, and we are all better off for his selfless sense of duty and his tireless commitment to our safety. I thank Officer Gazelle for his years of service, and I wish him all the best in his retirement. ____________________





