Mr. President, on Sunday, January 17, 2016, this country lost an American hero--Officer Doug Barney of the Unified Police Department in Salt Lake County, Utah, was shot and killed in the line of duty. He died honorably, doing what he loved to do: serving and protecting his community. Every day of his 18 years on the force, Officer Barney made his community not just safer but better. I know this not from personal experience--I was not one of those fortunate enough to have met Officer Barney--but from the community's response to his untimely death. When the tragic news spread across Utah and the Nation, those who knew him or knew of him--and it was hard to live in Salt Lake County without knowing Officer Barney--sprung into action to support his family and to commemorate his life of service. The most important step was taken first: to surround Officer Barney's wife and three teenage children with love, comfort, and assistance. The outpouring of support came not just from friends, family, and neighbors, but from strangers, too. Nanette Wride and Shante Johnson didn't know Officer Barney, but they were among the first to join his wife, Erika, on her long journey of healing. Indeed, Wride and Johnson came as fellow travelers on that journey--they, too, had suffered the loss of a husband serving on the front lines of law enforcement-- knowing all too well the unique challenges facing the Barney family during this trying time.…
Share & report
More from Bill Lee
Madam President, reserving the right to object, the United States of America has benefited for nearly 2\1/2\ centuries from having one of the world's best, most objective judicial systems in the entire world. While no system run by…
Madam President, the resurgence of American conservatism over the last three-quarters of a century had many fathers: James Burnham, Willmore Kendall, Frank Meyer, Richard Weaver, Milton Friedman, Russell Kirk, and, of course, William F…
Madam President, I appreciate the thoughtful analysis-- consistent with his always thoughtful, analytical approach to matters-- that has been offered up by my friend and colleague, the distinguished Senator from Connecticut. Yes, he and I…
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following my unanimous consent request, the following Senators be allowed to speak prior to the scheduled rollcall vote: Senator Lankford for up to 5 minutes, Senator Sinema for up to 7 minutes…





