Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Congressman Clay Higgins (R-La.), Congressman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Congressman Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.), Congressman Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), and law enforcement officers to discuss their gratitude for the daily sacrifice officers make and their support for strong tough-on-crime legislation during Police Week. Leader Scalise emphasized the need to pass this vital legislation as we see crime skyrocket in the aftermath of Democrats’ calls to defund the police and support of pro-criminal policies.
 
On the sacrifices made by law enforcement and their families:

“As we kick off National Police Week, let me first thank all of our men and women in law enforcement across the country who risked their lives to keep our communities safe. We all owe a deep debt of gratitude to the sacrifice they make. And of course this week, we're pausing especially for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who have fallen in the line of duty as we had a tribute last night, and we will continue to pay tribute to their families who will always pay that price.”

On the officers who saved Leader Scalise's life in 2017:

“I want to take you back to June 14th of 2017. I've always had such reverence for our men and women in law enforcement – worked with them when Pat Yoes and I worked together in the state legislature to make sure the laws were right for our police officers in Louisiana. But on that day, on a baseball field of all places, I got to see the bravery and heroism at a different level of our men and women in uniform. A crazed gunman comes out to kill all of us on the ball field that day. The only reason I'm here today, before you alive is because of David Bailey and Crystal Griner with the United States Capitol Police who risked their life for all of us – there were over a dozen members of Congress who have been taken out. And when you walk around the Capitol, we see them all around.

“There have been days where they've been challenged. There have been officers who have fallen in the line of duty here. That day, thank God, none of them fell. But both the United States Capitol Police and the Virginia police who came to our rescue that day put their lives at risk, just like law enforcement officers do every day. It's a special calling: To be willing to risk your life to save somebody else's, to protect somebody else who is being threatened by someone who just wakes up one day and decides they want to go and wreak havoc on society. They want to go and try to take someone else's life. They want to, in some cases, try to take a law enforcement officer's life. And by the way, both David and Crystal that day were shot while the shooter was trying to kill us. But the shooter wasn't successful because they were there; they answered that call. And they do it every day. And again, there's colleagues of mine that are going to be voting on the floor later today for some of these bills, who were on the ball field that day who wouldn't be here as well, if they didn't do their job.”

On House Republicans' bills this week to support law enforcement:

“And so we don't hear about it all the time. You know, you hear about an incident of maybe a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty – as tragic as that is. Every day a law enforcement officer puts their life at risk and it's not as well reported because the day ended well for everybody but the bad guys. As [Rep.] Clay [Higgins] said, 'Don't worry about me worry about the other guy.' And so while they're risking their lives, it's important that they know that the community has their back, we surely have their backs. 

“I'm especially proud to serve with colleagues of mine who actually served in law enforcement before they answered this calling to come and serve in Congress. And so as they make that sacrifice, just know in communities across America, when someone here illegally for example assaults a police officer and is let go the next day by a [District Attorney] who just thinks it's all right for somebody to beat up a cop. We're passing a bill that says it's not okay and in fact, you will be deported if you assault a cop here in America. We stand up for our men and women in law enforcement. I hope the vote is huge on that – not just all Republicans, every Democrat should vote for these bills too. To not just in deed, but in vote support our men and women in uniform because they have our back at the most troubling of times. Let's have their back and we will this week.”

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