In 2021, at least 16 major cities across the United States broke homicide records. More than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses, and at least 65 percent of those are attributed to the flood of fentanyl that’s entered this country illegally. Despite what the White House has called an “alternate universe,” crime impacts everyone.
Law enforcement officers are needed now more than ever, and dangerous “defund the police” rhetoric has a real impact on the safety of the thin blue line. Last year, murder of police officers hit a twenty-year high. It’s a gross and unacceptable reality facing those who keep us safe.
That’s why I am cosponsoring the Protect and Serve Act. This bipartisan legislation would create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target law enforcement officers with violence.
Anyone who attacks a police officer needs to face real and serious consequences for their actions. This bill is a step in the right direction, and I will continue to fight to see it become law.
