John Ratcliffe: “This is Police Week, a week which offers all of us an opportunity to honor those who selflessly keep our community safe.…”

“This is Police Week, a week which offers all of us an opportunity to honor those who selflessly keep our community safe. ``To protect and serve,'' that is more than just a slogan on the side of police cars across the country. It is a promise, a promise that brave men and women in uniform keep every day as they uphold law and order in our cities and towns. But to be able to protect and serve us, our law enforcement needs the tools and resources that are vital to successfully doing their job. And, unfortunately, some of that essential lifesaving equipment that they need to protect us and to protect themselves has been stripped away. Last June, President Obama arbitrarily and unilaterally decided to limit the 1033 surplus equipment program, a Federal program that provides lifesaving Defense Department equipment to State and local law enforcement agencies. Because of this ill-conceived action, I am hearing from the sheriffs, police chiefs, and law enforcement officials throughout the 18 counties that I am fortunate to represent. I am hearing about how the safety of the brave men and women in blue and their departments are being compromised by the President's action. It is clear that the President's decision to unilaterally cut access to lifesaving equipment was a knee-jerk reaction that put politics in front of public safety, and that is something that we simply can't let happen. So in response, Mr.…”