Earlier this week, thousands of police officers came to the United States Capitol to be recognized and honored by President Trump for all that they do on a daily basis to serve our country at the 36^th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. This year, we honored 394 individuals who join the over 20,000 men and women who gave up their lives in the line of duty. It was a wonderful gathering that reminds Americans from one corner of our nation to another that the men and women in blue put their lives on the line to save others without any hesitation.

This week, May 15-19, is recognized as National Police Week. This is a time for our nation to work together to move forward from recent tragedies and unite as a community. Last year, Officer Blake Snyder from St. Louis was tragically killed in the line of duty. His name is now added to the National Law Enforcement Monument. We must remember that each and every day, law enforcement officers across the United States leave their homes, their spouses, and their children to keep our streets safe.

The House of Representatives is acting to ensure that we honor their sacrifices and guarantee those who harm law enforcement officers are brought to justice. We are also working to ensure that these dedicated men and women have the tools needed to do their job and keep the public safe.

My colleagues and I devoted this week on the House floor to honor the men and women who serve our nation each day. There were two bills, in particular, that I wanted to highlight that passed with bipartisan support. The Thin Blue Line Act would add the murder of a state or local police officer as an aggravating factor for a jury to consider in deciding whether to impose the death penalty in federal capital cases. The murder of a federal law enforcement officer is already an aggravating factor under current law. This bill sends a message that the stalking and killing of law enforcement officers must not and will not be tolerated. Another bill the House passed this week was the Probation Officer Protection Act which would protect public safety by giving probation officers the authority, while in the performance of their official duties, to arrest a person if there is probable cause to believe that the person has forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, or interfered with the probation officer in the performance of his or her duties.

I encourage everyone to stand with the millions of Americans in praying for the the law enforcement, citizens, and families who have fallen victim to violence.