pac.dog pac.dog / Clips

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Speaker
M001198
Subject
M001198
Source
Congressional Record · original
Chamber
senate
Published
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Sentiment
positive (score 0.90)

Sign in to add to a watchlist →

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S2293] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL POLICE WEEK Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, most Hoosiers wake up every morning and they see their children off to school or head to work without event, without an incident. They live in safety because a select few of their fellow citizens willingly forfeit their own safety. May 10 to 16 is National Police Week, and it is a useful reminder for all of us of what we owe our law enforcement, particularly our Indiana law enforcement officers, and what more we can do for them. You see, our police officers are the thin blue line between order a…

Full text

4,603 chars

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S2293] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL POLICE WEEK Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, most Hoosiers wake up every morning and they see their children off to school or head to work without event, without an incident. They live in safety because a select few of their fellow citizens willingly forfeit their own safety. May 10 to 16 is National Police Week, and it is a useful reminder for all of us of what we owe our law enforcement, particularly our Indiana law enforcement officers, and what more we can do for them. You see, our police officers are the thin blue line between order and chaos. The men and women who wear the badge are our guardians of peace who willingly stand in the way of all sorts of threats to their communities and to our interests. Whether our ears are being destroyed by public disorder, our cars break down, our homes are invaded, when trouble comes, our law enforcement officers are not far behind. Too often, we appreciate them only when we need them, and that is why we have set aside this week to remember them, to honor them. Just as commonly, we overlook the grave danger they willingly face on our behalf. The hero's badge is a criminal's target. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, which carries the names of 24,000 police officers killed in the line of duty, reminds us of this sobering reality. Every year, additional names are added to these rolls. Around 100 police officers die on the job annually, the majority as a result of violent and other serious crimes. In 2024, 85,730--think of that number--85,730 police officers were assaulted in the line of duty. This is dangerous work. Many of these incidents were ambush attacks, when criminals target police officers unexpectedly. According to the National Fraternal Order of Police, such incidents accounted for nearly 30 percent of officer shootings last year. These terrible sacrifices are why since 1962 Americans have honored our law enforcement personnel during the second week of May. National Police Week is an occasion to renew our unwavering support for law enforcement officers. It is an opportunity to recognize and give thanks for their unseen acts of heroism, to honor and remember those who have laid down their lives to protect others, and express our solemn appreciation to the loved ones of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Let's remember the families. Let's remember the families of these brave men and women and their sacrifices. And remembrance is important; so is gratitude. But these alone are not enough. Our police officers defend us, and we, in turn, can deter and punish those who would do them harm. That is why in the Senate, I am supporting the Protect and Serve Act. This legislation was introduced by my colleague Senator Tillis, and this bill would create a new category of crime for those who attack Federal, State, or local law enforcement officers. It would give Federal prosecutors more tools--more tools--to go after those who deliberately target law enforcement officers by making it a Federal crime to knowingly cause or attempt to cause bodily injury to a law enforcement officer. And under the bill, offenders would be subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years, a stiff penalty for a serious crime. An offender under this bill could receive a life sentence if a death results from the offense or the offense includes kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, or attempted murder. Yes, this legislation is tough, but we need to be tough. This legislation aligns with common sense. We need to better protect those who protect us, and Congress should move this bill this year. So whether they serve at the local, State, or Federal level, our law enforcement officers are the best and the bravest in our community. Laws mean little without men and women sworn to uphold them. So during National Police Week, let's reflect on how much we owe them and show our support for the men and women wearing the badge across Indiana and across America. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Kansas. ____________________

Related clips (by topic)

Closest matches by cosine similarity over the clip embedding index — semantically related coverage even when the speaker or subject differs.

More from this speaker

More on this subject

pac.dog is a free, independent, non-partisan research tool. Every candidate, committee, bill, vote, member, and nonprofit on this site is mirrored from primary U.S. government sources (FEC, congress.gov, govinfo.gov, IRS) and each state's Secretary of State / election commission — no third-party data vendors, no paywall, no editorial intermediation. Citations to the originating source are on every detail page.

Estimated value: $180/mo per user — but we made it free.