Two Police Bills that Passed the House This Week; IWN Police Action Center is Now Live; an Action Alert
It was a somber week, but also a productive one
Police officers from around the country gathered in Washington, D.C. this past week to honor 282 of their fallen brothers and sisters who perished in 2023. Their names, now etched on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Memorial, will remain in perpetuity with more than 23,000 other souls who made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. They’re gone forever, leaving behind family and loved ones who will continue to experience unimaginable grief.
We can never forget their sacrifice. And we must continue to fight for the men and women who continue to serve with dignity.
Because even as these heroes were being memorialized, the violence targeting law enforcement remained unabated. More than 140 police officers have already been shot this year, with 20 killed, putting us on track to outpace last year’s bloodshed.
Keep in mind that these numbers only account for gun injuries and fatalities. Officers are routinely assaulted in other ways: they’re stabbed, kicked, punched, spit at (which puts them at risk for acquiring communicable diseases), are attacked with chemical weaponry, and are intentionally run over by cars.
This past week, the FBI released data collected via the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) database, showing that assaults on police officers reached a 10-year high in 2023, with more than 79,000 officers attacked last year. These are just the assaults that we know of. While there are more than 18,0000 police departments in the United States, only 10,884 police agencies submitted data.
As somber as this week has been, I’m also heartened by progress being made in the law enforcement advocacy arena. This past week we got the Independent Women’s Network police and public safety advocacy center up and running, two federal bills I’ve been tracking passed the House, and I learned that a colleague taped a segment for Dr. Phil’s new show, which she said was very pro-police. Given that Dr. Phil has a huge audience, this is a big deal.
Know that the message is getting out and that people are starting to pay attention. It’s just one more reason to be hopeful.
Partnering with others who care about police and public safety has been a huge priority for me. So that an organization like Independent Women’s Network offered to take up this issue was like receiving manna from Heaven. IWN (and its sister organization, Independent Women’s Forum) is a prominent and respected women’s organization that has the ear of Congress and the news media. I’m exceedingly proud to be an investing member.
Through our new action center, more than 32,000 of our dedicated members will be briefed on issues pertaining to law enforcement and they’ll have opportunities to take meaningful action. The resources we created have also been made available to our chapter leaders, who now have the tools they need to better advocate for our police officers.
These resources include a paper I wrote about the fragility of our public safety landscape; a video presentation I did with Dr. Meaghan Mobbs, a senior Independent Women’s Forum fellow; and an action list on tangible ways our members can support police officers.
This content is currently open only to IWN members. We’re working on a way to generate private links so my readers can enjoy the content without having to sign up. : )
This is only a start. We’ll be adding more articles, action alerts, interviews, and videos. So if you know of any female police officers who are willing to be interviewed to discuss their most pressing issues (Male officers, we love you, too!) please have them contact me at fortheblue@substack.com.
The Protect & Serve Act (H.R. 743)
H.R. 743 now has 116 House co-sponsors. The newest signers are:
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-5)
Rep. Richard McCormick (GA-6)
No hearings or markup sessions have been re-scheduled yet.
A House Resolution Regarding Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers (H.Res. 1213)
House Rep. Pete Stauber, who is a former police officer, introduced House Resolution 1213 last week. As far as resolutions go, this one is quite comprehensive and goes far beyond the obligatory messaging.
It illustrates the current plight of police officers and calls for accountability from Congress. It thus far has two co-sponsors. Please encourage your congressperson to sponsor this important resolution.
You can read my presser on H.Res. 1213 for NPA here.
New York State Bail Reform Amendment (A4208 / S5335) Dies in Committee
A New York bill that would have allowed judges to consider a defendant’s danger to the community and flight risk when deciding whether bail is appropriate, died in the Senate Codes Committee. {Sigh}
Two Federal Bills That Did Pass the House This Week
The Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act (H.R. 7581)
If enacted, data collected in the federal Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) database would be expanded. A wider breadth of data is necessary to better understand the factors involved in the rise of violence being perpetrated on police officers.
The total votes received was 265 Yeas and 148 Nays. I’m not certain how anyone can justify not wanting more data that can potentially save police officer lives.
The Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act (H.R. 7343)
The total received for this bill was also 265 Yeas and 148 Nays.
My own congressman, Rep. Mark Pocan, was a Nay. I called yesterday to find out what his reasoning was for voting as he did, and I received this prompt response. He also voted Nay on H.R. 7581, and I’m still waiting to hear back from him about his vote on this bill.
Dear Ms. Fitzsimmons,
Thank you for reaching out to our office to inquire about Congressman Mark Pocan's position and reason for voting NAY on H.R. 7343, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act.
As you may know, H.R. 7343 would allow the Department of Homeland Security to deport any non-U.S. national (alien) that is arrested for, charged with, convicted of, or admits to assaulting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.Â
Congressman Pocan voted NAY on H.R. 7343 because he believes that the language in the bill is too broad. In particular, the Congressman disagreed with specific provisions in the bill that would allow individuals to be deported for being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a law enforcement officer, regardless of whether they end up being charged or convicted of a crime in a criminal court of law. The Congressman feels in this regard, that the burden of proof should be higher.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact our office. If we can be of further assistance, please reach out to our office at (202) 225-2906.
Sincerely,
(Intern’s name)
Intern
Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02)
1026 Longworth House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515
If your congressperson voted YEA on H.R. 7581 and / or H.R. 7343, please send a note of thanks and encouragement. If the vote was NAY, please ask for the reasoning behind the vote.
You can see how your congressperson voted on the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act (H.R. 7343) here.
You can see how your congressperson voted on the Officer and Safety Wellness Through Data Act (H.R. 7581) here.
Can you also please forward to me any responses you receive? I’d like to compare and contrast the replies. It also helps me to understand the thought processes of the opposition. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com. Thanks!
Something I keep in front of me on my advocacy journey is that it’s not just policing that’s broken. Our culture is in steep decline (part of this, I have come to believe, is by design) and the war on police is but one casualty.
Government does indeed impact culture, and the decisions our elected leaders make have real-world consequences for our lives. Our problems, however, run much deeper than just politics. They stem from the obsolescence of traditional values, most predominantly faith and the nuclear family.
Per Pew Research, by the 1960s, 73% of us were living in a two-parent home. By 1980, that number had decreased to 61%. Today, it’s at 46%. We’re wired to feel that we belong, a need that has historically been provided by a nurturing family, as well as genuine friendships, and our communities. We also need to have a sense of purpose, that our lives matter, that we’re not just existing.
These features have tragically been replaced. More people are medicating themselves to ease the pain and loneliness, relying on social media, or just tuning out. This is not healthy or sustainable for individuals or our country.
I’m convinced that if our foundations were solid, the decline we’re now witnessing in our country wouldn’t be occurring at this level.
These are problems that will potentially take decades to fix, however. What we can do in the meantime is spread goodness and solve problems where and when we can. Supporting our police officers and working on pro- police and -public safety legislation are achievable goals that we can work on right now.
The best is yet to come. : )
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.
Thanks Paula!
The link to the FBI's 2023 data that was recently released has been corrected. Not sure what happened there.