The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“NATIONAL POLICE WEEK” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Senate section on pages S2716-S2717 on May 16, 2018.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to honor the incredible men and women of our Nation's law enforcement agencies and to recognize the ultimate sacrifice of one of North Dakota's peace officers. Each year, peace officers from all over the country and from countries all over the world come to Washington, DC, to celebrate and to honor the lives of their colleagues who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
I want first to recognize several law enforcement officers that lost their lives in the line of duty last year who do not always get the recognition or the honor they deserve, and those are our Federal and Tribal peace officers. They protect our homeland, they protect our borders and, in the case of Tribal police, they provide safety and security in Indian Country in some of the most remote and difficult places in the Nation.
This year, eight Federal law enforcement officers' names were again etched in the wall: Rickey O'Donald, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Isaac Morales, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Rogelio Martinez, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; David John Hoefler, U.S. Department of Transportation; Kenneth Doyle, U.S. Marshals Service; Houston James Largo, Navajo Nation; Uga'Shon Curtis Wayne Blackbird, Omaha Nation; and Nathan Bradford Graves, Sac and Fox Nation.
To these Federal and Tribal officers whom we lost last year in the line of duty, may God bless you and may God bless your families.
The men and women who serve as peace officers in our Tribal, Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies selflessly put the lives of those they have taken an oath to protect and serve before their own lives. I am here not only to remember those peace officers whom we have lost but to thank each and every peace officer who puts on that uniform or badge every day to protect our communities.
I wish to recognize briefly a few law enforcement officers I have come to know well during my time in the Senate: the southwest border sheriffs--in particular, Cochise County, AZ, sheriff Mark Dannels and Yuma County sheriff Leon Wilmot--and Macon County, IL, sheriff Howard Buffet. They are not only outstanding law enforcement officials, but they have become great friends, great mentors, and a great source of advice and consent on how we can work better here in Washington, DC, not only on the border but across agencies in law enforcement.
As a former North Dakota attorney general, I have always had a special relationship and appreciation for law enforcement. Serving as the top law enforcement officer in my State will always be one of the most meaningful moments of my professional career. North Dakota has the finest collection of peace officers in the country, and I could not be more proud than to continue to work alongside them as their U.S. Senator.
I am here to thank each and every one of the peace officers who selflessly serve in communities throughout North Dakota and to let you know that I just don't appreciate you during police week. I appreciate you 24/7 because I know you are protecting the people of my great State, and you are doing it at great risk to you and at great sacrifice to your families.
So today I come with a heavy heart. This is now the second police week in a row that I have attended where I am memorializing a North Dakota peace officer. Today, I am speaking of a North Dakota peace officer who was killed in the line of duty--Rolette County deputy Colt Allery. He lost his life on January 18, 2017, during a high-speed chase that Colt was engaged in with several of his fellow officers that evening after a report and identification of a stolen vehicle. As the stolen vehicle was coming to a forced stop, shots were fired from the car and fired at Colt as he approached. Colt fell, and he never got back up that evening, succumbing to his injuries not far from the small community where he grew up.
He leaves behind five beautiful young children, including a stepdaughter, his fiancee Alexandria, the grandparents who raised him, family, friends, and a community that misses him and still grieves at the loss.
Growing up in St. John, ND, and as an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Colt never strayed too far from home. He made a commitment to do more than just be part of his community. He decided to serve his community as a peace officer.
Colt started out as a corrections officer for Rolette County. After graduating from the North Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy, he started working as an officer with the Rolla Police Department. He then went to work serving his fellow Tribal members as a Tribal police officer on Turtle Mountain before he recently moved back to the Rolette County Sheriff's Office.
The loss of this fine young peace officer and young dad was felt across the entire State of North Dakota. The impacts are still felt by his family, the Rolette County Sheriff's Office, and his Tribal community of Turtle Mountain. Colt made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his State and to Rolette County. He lost his life to a gunshot wound inflicted by an individual prepared to take even more lives. The brave action of this peace officer that night prevented that from happening.
Deputy Colt Allery's name is now etched on the wall of the peace officers memorial here in Washington, DC. He is no longer just a North Dakota fallen hero. He is a national fallen hero, as he is recognized with all of his fallen brothers and officers.
Colt Allery's name will now serve as an example, not just to North Dakotans but to people from all over the country and all over the world who visit that memorial every year. He is an example of the best that our State and our country has to offer. He is an example of what it means to have lived and died so that others may be safe. Quite simply, he is an example for everyone of what it means to be an everyday hero.
We must also remember the families of our peace officers, who sacrifice so much, not knowing if their loved ones will return each time they walk out the door. You have sacrificed and lost so much, and no words today will replace the pain of losing a loved one.
We have a proud history in North Dakota of peace officers like Colt serving their State and local communities with distinction. I have had the extreme privilege over the years to work with law enforcement officials in my State who span the spectrum from highway patrol to State and local peace officers, various Federal officers, and certainly our Tribal police. Let me tell you again that these are some of the finest men and women I have ever met or worked with. These are men and women just like Colt who could have chosen a different path. They could have chosen a path that didn't involve putting themselves in harm's way. Instead they chose to take the oath to protect and serve. They chose to selflessly put themselves in harm's way so they could make North Dakota a safer place for each and every person that lives in our great State or even those who may be passing through. They chose to put the needs of others before their own. They chose a more difficult path to tread than most of us would ever be willing to follow.
So I stand here this evening not only to celebrate the life of Colt Allery but to celebrate and thank each and every peace officer working in my great State of North Dakota, working across the country, and, yes, across the world.
To all of our peace officers, especially those back home in North Dakota, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sacrifice for your communities and the State of North Dakota. I beg you to stay safe. I beg you to take care of yourselves. Take care of your families. And God bless all of you.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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