Mike Cloud: “Who would have thought--who would have thought--that today we would be here discussing this topic. When I ran for…”

“Who would have thought--who would have thought--that today we would be here discussing this topic. When I ran for office, when I stood in this room for the first time and took the oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution, I expected that we would have many discussions on this floor with deeply held opposing views on the many issues facing our Nation. I did not expect that one of those issues would be whether this, the lawmaking body of our Nation, expects the laws to be followed, or whether or not we support the brave men and women tasked with enforcing that law. Policing is a noble and necessary profession of any civil society, a profession which, by and large, is full of dedicated, courageous citizens who have chosen to serve their community, often putting aside higher-paying professions to work in one of the most difficult, challenging jobs, daily prioritizing public safety over their own. It is these families for whom the greatest sound one hears is the sound of Velcro at the end of each shift as their loved one removes their body armor and takes up their other most important duty of being a mom, dad, brother, or sister. For too many of our law enforcement officers' families, because of the violence against police, they are now denied the joy of that moment. Each day, we see images of organized armed riots embracing lawlessness, destroying property, sowing hate, and instilling fear, all in order to advance a political agenda.…”