Floor Speech2026-03-24

AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR THE NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS' MEMORIAL SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL HONOR GUARD AND PIPE BAND EXHIBITION

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Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2651-H2652] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR THE NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS' MEMORIAL SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL HONOR GUARD AND PIPE BAND EXHIBITION Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 73) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition. The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution. The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows: H. Con. Res. 73 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That SECTION 1. USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS' MEMORIAL SERVICE. (a) In General.--The National Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary shall be permitted to sponsor a public event, the 45th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service (in this resolution referred to as the ``Memorial Service''), on the Capitol Grounds, in order to honor the law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty during 2025. (b) Date of Memorial Service.--The Memorial Service shall be held on May 15, 2026, or on such other date as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate jointly designate, with preparation for the event to begin on May 7, 2026, and takedown completed on May 17, 2026. SEC. 2. USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR NATIONAL HONOR GUARD AND PIPE BAND EXHIBITION. (a) In General.--The National Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary shall be permitted to sponsor a public event, the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition (in this resolution referred to as the ``Exhibition''), on the Capitol Grounds, in order to allow law enforcement representatives to exhibit their ability to demonstrate Honor Guard programs and provide for a bagpipe exhibition. (b) Date of Exhibition.--The Exhibition shall be held on May 14, 2026, or on such other date as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate jointly designate. SEC. 3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS. (a) In General.--Under conditions to be prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board, the event shall be-- (1) free of admission charge and open to the public; and (2) arranged not to interfere with the needs of Congress. (b) Expenses and Liabilities.--The sponsors of the Memorial Service and Exhibition shall assume full responsibility for all expenses and liabilities incident to all activities associated with the events. SEC. 4. EVENT PREPARATIONS. Subject to the approval of the Architect of the Capitol, the sponsors referred to in section 3(b) are authorized to erect upon the Capitol Grounds such stage, sound amplification devices, and other related structures and equipment, as may be required for the Memorial Service and Exhibition. SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT OF RESTRICTIONS. The Capitol Police Board shall provide for enforcement of the restrictions contained in section 5104(c) of title 40, United States Code, concerning sales, advertisements, displays, and solicitations on the Capitol Grounds, as well as other restrictions applicable to the Capitol Grounds, in connection with the events. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio. General Leave Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material into the Record on H. Con. Res. 73. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio? There was no objection. Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. [[Page H2652]] Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 73 authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the 45th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial event. I am proud to continue the long tradition of supporting the Fraternal Order of Police in honoring the law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2025. Law enforcement officers across the country put their lives on the line every day to help keep us safe. There were 17 officers killed in Ohio in 2025. Last year, I paid my respects to Deputy Larry Ray Henderson from Union Township, Ohio, who tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Larry joined the ranks of those who courageously made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our communities. I also recognize Officer Larry Cox from Chillicothe and Officer Dave Poling who did the same. I am humbled to honor their legacies today. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the police officers who continue to serve despite the risk they face every day. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 73, legislation introduced by myself and Representative Perry. This resolution authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for events related to the 45th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service on May 15, 2026. The National Fraternal Order of Police will host this event to honor the Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in the year 2025. In my home State of Arizona, we honor Officer Gabriel Facio of the Apache Junction Police Department, who was killed in the line of duty in June 2025. Officer Facio served with the Apache Junction Police Department for nearly 4 years and had previously served as an officer in the city of Phoenix. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, parents, and a grandchild. Last month, we lost two more Arizona heroes. State Trooper Hunter Bennett was killed in a helicopter crash alongside his pilot, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Robert Skankey, while responding to an active shooter incident. Trooper Bennett was just 28 years old and was married to his high school sweetheart, Breanna. He graduated top of his class from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy after graduating magna cum laude from Arizona State University. Pilot Skankey retired from the United States Marine Corps after 22 highly decorated years. He went on to join the Arizona Department of Public Safety, serving as an aviation supervisor. He leaves behind his wife, Tjiske, and four children. Their service and sacrifice remind us that the dangers our law enforcement officers face are real and they are ever-present. We honor Officer Facio, Trooper Bennett, Pilot Skankey, and all officers throughout the country for their sacrifices and devotion to protecting our communities. In addition to the families and friends of the deceased, event organizers expect 25,000 police officers from around the country to be in attendance. Additionally, this resolution authorizes the use of Capitol grounds for the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Expedition on May 14, 2026. Mr. Speaker, I support this bipartisan resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1600 Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) and also my colleague from Arizona (Mr. Stanton). I am extremely honored and humbled to once again introduce this resolution alongside the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee ranking member, Representative Stanton, from Arizona. This year marks the 45th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial event, which honors our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. According to the Fraternal Order of Police, over the past 5 years, more than 2,000 police officers have been shot in the line of duty. In 2025, there were 347 shot in the line of duty, 45 of whom were killed. It is completely unacceptable. Tragically, three of those deaths were my constituents, my bosses. On September 17, last year, a gunman ambushed police officers who were serving an arrest warrant. During the attack, three police officers were killed and two more were wounded. The officers who died in the line of duty were Detective Sergeant Cody Michael Becker, Detective Isaiah D. Emenheiser, and Detective Mark Edward Baker. All three officers were longtime veterans of the Northern York County Regional Police Department. Mr. Speaker, this memorial service is for them and those like them and all the officers that will come to attend and think about their fallen comrades. These are the people in our community who run to the danger, who run to the sound of gunfire. These are the people who get up in the middle of the night not knowing whether they are coming home. They do the shift work. They are underpaid and under-respected now in our society, even among some of their very own leaders, their own elected leaders. That is why this memorial service this year is more important than ever. It is my sincere hope that this memorial service will bring some level of comfort to the families of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety and for the safety of their community. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues all to support this resolution. I thank Representative Stanton from Arizona and Representative Taylor from Ohio. Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for a short closing statement. Mr. Speaker, I support H. Con. Res. 73. At a time of hyperpartisanship in this body, it is good that we can come togeth

Referenced legislation: HCONRES73, HCONRES73

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