Washington, D.C. – Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) spoke on the House Floor to honor National Police Week and highlight his commitment to standing up for law enforcement in Congress. As a former state and federal prosecutor, working cases related immigration, drugs, and terrorism, Rep. LaHood has been a longtime advocate for Illinois police.
Rep. LaHood's floor remarks can be viewed here and read below:
"Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of National Police Week, a week we set aside to thank the more than 800,000 police officers who put on a badge nationwide and risk their lives to protect our communities.
We thank them for their brave service. Our police officers play an essential role in our community—working to keep us safe, upholding the rule of law, and responding to emergencies.
Illinois is home to many upstanding, honorable, courageous, and self-sacrificing police officers, including Peoria’s Police Chief Eric Echevarria and Durand Police Chief Michael Reiman.
Mr. Speaker, we also take this time to mourn the loss of our fallen officers whose lives were lost in the line of duty.
On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 61 hours. We must never forget their sacrifice.
Lastly, I want to thank the law enforcement support network—their families, parents, wives, husbands, and children for the sacrifices they make when their loved ones serve as police officers.
At a time when our law enforcement is constantly under attack, Congress must continue to stand with the Police and Back the Blue."
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