Thom Tillis Honors Fallen Officers, Touts Bill To Increase Punishments For Purposefully Harming Cops

Forbes Breaking News

During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) spoke about the Protect and Serve Act.

Transcript

00:00Mr. President. Senator from North Carolina is recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. I rise

00:04during police week to honor the brave men and women in North Carolina and across the nation

00:10who serve in law enforcement. Thousands of officers and their families

00:17come to our nation's capital every year to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice

00:25to protect our communities. Each name added to the memorial wall represents a story of

00:31courage, selflessness, and sacrifice. Unfortunately, North Carolinians know all too well about the

00:38kind of sacrifice. Today, I want to honor three heroes who we lost in North Carolina since

00:45last year's police week in May 2024. Last September, North Carolina was hit by Hurricane Helene,

00:52one of the worst natural disasters in the state's history. The historic flooding and

00:59devastation caused Helene by Helene required an all-out effort by first responders who were

01:05working around the clock. One of those first responders was Court Officer James Lau of the

01:11Macon County Sheriff's Office. Officer Lau's vehicle was swept away by unexpected floodwaters from a river

01:19in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Officer Lau was a Vietnam veteran and his law

01:26enforcement career spanned nearly four decades across three states. In fact, Officer Lau was 75 years old.

01:35He was already fully retired, but he continued to serve his community as a security officer at the

01:45Macon County Courthouse. He survived by his wife, five children, and four grandchildren.

01:51We also remember Major Michelle Lynn Quintero of the Madison County Sheriff's Office, who was only 48 years old.

02:01She was tragically killed by the same storm and fast-moving floodwaters by a dam that had overflowed and took

02:09down all the power, radio, radio, and phone service. Major Quintero was swept downhill and was hit by a tree careening

02:16in a fast-moving water. She served more than 17 years with the Madison County Sheriff's Office. Major Quintero is

02:26survived by her husband, who also works in law enforcement, and she is survived by her two children, both of whom work for the

02:33Madison County Sheriff's Office. Late December last year, on the day before Christmas Eve, Greensboro

02:43Police Officer Michael Horan was shot and killed while responding to a call about a man with a firearm in

02:50a grocery store. The murderer fled the scene and led law enforcement on a multi-county chase. The brave men from

03:01multiple law enforcement agencies apprehended the suspect on Interstate 40. Officer Horan was a reservist

03:08in the United States Coast Guard, where he earned multiple awards, including the Coast Guard Enlisted

03:15Person of the Year Award in 2015 and 2019. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer

03:23earlier this year. Officer Horan served with the Greensboro Police Department for seven years.

03:29He was only 44 years old and survived by his wife and children.

03:41While we can't stop natural disasters or accidents,

03:48lawmakers can play a role in helping reduce the intentional targeting of law enforcement.

03:54That's why I continue to push for the passage of the Protect and Serve Act. This is legislation that

04:02I introduced that makes it a federal crime to intentionally harm or attempt to harm a law

04:10enforcement officer. It also gives prosecutors new tools to penalize criminals who target law enforcement.

04:17Officers go to work every day prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for their communities,

04:21and they need our support now than ever. I had a colleague of mine in Judiciary Committee today make

04:27a great point. That uniform now includes a bulletproof vest. They know what they've signed up for.

04:33They wear that as a matter of procedure because every single day they go out there and they assume they may be shot at.

04:39I'm asking my colleagues to consider the importance of this legislation and encourage them to take a stand on behalf

04:52of law enforcement officers who are no longer with us.

04:55There's a reason the Protect and Serve Act is supported by law enforcement groups across the nation.

05:02The Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Police Officers Defense Coalition,

05:09the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriff's Association,

05:14and the Major County Sheriff's Association. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know why

05:18it is hard for any member of the U.S. Senate to get behind this bill. It simply says that we're going to

05:26make it, we're going to raise the stakes for anybody who would knowingly do harm to a police officer.

05:33To every officer serving today, thank you for your courage. You've earned my unending gratitude.

05:41By supporting this bill, members of the U.S. Senate can demonstrate their

05:49enduring gratitude to law enforcement. By not supporting it, I don't know what that says,

05:55but I know it's something that in North Carolina and among law enforcement agencies, it's not good.

06:02To the families of the fallen, your loss is shared by a grateful nation.

06:06We will never forget your loved one's service, nor their sacrifice. God bless them. God bless law

06:17enforcement, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you, Mr. President.

Category

Transcript

Recommended