Floor SpeechPartisan Attack2026-05-14

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

John Barrasso

RWY · Senator

ImmigrationTaxesEnvironmentCrime & JusticeLabor

Context

On 2026-05-14, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) delivered a floor speech titled "NATIONAL POLICE WEEK" in the Senate.

Full Text

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2289-S2290] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL POLICE WEEK Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, on a separate matter, this week is Police Week. We honor the brave officers all across the country who continue to serve and truly remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty. Yesterday, I met with law enforcement officers from Wyoming here in the Capitol. There was a ranger from the Bureau of Land Management. She is from Buffalo, WY. There were also two police officers from Sheridan, WY, part of the same police department that lost Sergeant Nevada Krinkee, nearly 2 years ago. And they are in Washington, DC, this week to honor Sergeant Krinkee. It was an honor to thank these heroes for keeping our community safe. Every year the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial adds names of fallen officers to its memorial wall. It does this for officers who died in the line of duty in the previous year. It also adds the names of fallen officers from earlier years who, through extensive research, were recently uncovered. It enlists their new names onto the memorial wall as well. This comprehensive rollcall of heroes serves as a living memorial to all of the fallen officers in the history of our Nation. This year, the names of 363 new fallen officers were added. It is a high number. One of the officers is someone who died in the past but research has disclosed should have been named, and that is Marshal Daniel Hansen of the Cokeville Police Department in Wyoming. Cokeville is a small town along the western border of our State. Marshal Hansen wore the badge over a century ago. In a wild land, at the time, dotted by small frontier towns, the difference between civilization and lawlessness was a very thin blue line. On June 21, 1912, the wife of a local businessowner found a blackmail letter. It was signed by notorious outlaws. The note demanded $1,500, which was a fortune at that time. It also threatened to kill her and her family if police were warned. [[Page S2290]] Although any backup was dozens of miles away, Marshal Hansen rode out to investigate. As he did his job, he was shot dead. It is believed that the murder of the marshal had been targeted. More than a century has passed since Marshal Hansen died in the line of duty. Yet his legacy of service, selflessness, and sacrifice lives on. Today, Wyoming officers proudly protect and serve across our State. Officers work double shifts. They answer emergency calls. They stay late into the night. And they do all of this to keep their community safe. And I am always going to support the men and women of law enforcement without apology. Today, Republicans are putting money back into the pockets of law enforcement. Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts law. That new law includes no taxes on overtime. For Wyoming officers, no taxes on overtime--it is not just extra; it is essential. The average tax deduction for no taxes on overtime this year is more than $3,100. Republicans are again delivering safer streets. The Working Families Tax Cut law invests in local law enforcement. It helps officers fight violent crime. This year, violent crime is falling across the board. Murders, robberies, rapes, aggravated assaults are all down compared to last year. Clearly, supporting law enforcement makes our communities safer. By contrast, Democrats in Congress continue to want to defund the police. Democrats have left Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers unfunded since January. Tellingly, the Democrat leader recently said on this floor that ICE and Border Patrol, he said, are two groups nobody respects. Radical Democrats continue to disrespect, to demonize, and to defund the men and women who keep us safe. Republicans are going to ensure ICE and Border Patrol are fully funded, and we are going to continue to stand up for the men and women who keep all of our communities safe. I yield the floor. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The minority whip. ____________________

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NATIONAL POLICE WEEK Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2289-S2290] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL POLICE WEEK Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, on a separate matter, this week is Police Week. We honor the brave officers all across the country who continue to serve and truly remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty. Yesterday, I met with law enforcement officers from Wyoming here in the Capitol. There was a ranger from the Bureau of Land Management. She is from Buffalo, WY. There were also two police officers from Sheridan, WY, part of the same police department that lost Sergeant Nevada Krinkee, nearly 2 years ago. And they are in Washington, DC, this week to honor Sergeant Krinkee. It was an honor to thank these heroes for keeping our community safe. Every year the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial adds names of fallen officers to its memorial wall. It does this for officers who died in the line of duty in the previous year. It also adds the names of fallen officers from earlier years who, through extensive research, were recently uncovered. It enlists their new names onto the memorial wall as well. This comprehensive rollcall of heroes serves as a living memorial to all of the fallen officers in the history of our Nation. This year, the names of 363 new fallen officers were added. It is a high number. One of the officers is someone who died in the past but research has disclosed should have been named, and that is Marshal Daniel Hansen of the Cokeville Police Department in Wyoming. Cokeville is a small town along the western border of our State. Marshal Hansen wore the badge over a century ago. In a wild land, at the time, dotted by small frontier towns, the difference between civilization and lawlessness was a very thin blue line. On June 21, 1912, the wife of a local businessowner found a blackmail letter. It was signed by notorious outlaws. The note demanded $1,500, which was a fortune at that time. It also threatened to kill her and her family if police were warned. [[Page S2290]] Although any backup was dozens of miles away, Marshal Hansen rode out to investigate. As he did his job, he was shot dead. It is believed that the murder of the marshal had been targeted. More than a century has passed since Marshal Hansen died in the line of duty. Yet his legacy of service, selflessness, and sacrifice lives on. Today, Wyoming officers proudly protect and serve across our State. Officers work double shifts. They answer emergency calls. They stay late into the night. And they do all of this to keep their community safe. And I am always going to support the men and women of law enforcement without apology. Today, Republicans are putting money back into the pockets of law enforcement. Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts law. That new law includes no taxes on overtime. For Wyoming officers, no taxes on overtime--it is not just extra; it is essential. The average tax deduction for no taxes on overtime this year is more than $3,100. Republicans are again delivering safer streets. The Working Families Tax Cut law invests in local law enforcement. It helps officers fight violent crime. This year, violent crime is falling across the board. Murders, robberies, rapes, aggravated assaults are all down compared to last year. Clearly, supporting law enforcement makes our communities safer. By contrast, Democrats in Congress continue to want to defund the police. Democrats have left Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers unfunded since January. Tellingly, the Democrat leader recently said on this floor that ICE and Border Patrol, he said, are two groups nobody respects. Radical Democrats continue to disrespect, to demonize, and to defund the men and women who keep us safe. Republicans are going to ensure ICE and Border Patrol are fully funded, and we are going to continue to stand up for the men and women who keep all of our communities safe. I yield the floor. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The minority whip. ____________________