Anthony D'Esposito

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest), my friend.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Williams), my friend and fellow New Yorker.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird).

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I was hoping that tonight was about honoring, but we want to, I guess, talk about the bills that are on the floor this week. We can do that prior to debating, but to say that the bills this week are partisan that are supporting law enforcement, I would have to disagree. One of them I actually wrote myself. It is about providing for the law enforcement officers who are actually being attacked in city streets like New York by illegal migrants. The bill requires that law enforcement agencies throughout the country are given updates as to how this migrant crisis, the Biden border crisis, how it is affecting law enforcement so that Congress and local municipalities can do the job that they need to do to make sure that law enforcement has the resources they need to protect themselves. That does not seem partisan to me. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), who is another brother in law enforcement.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. 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 on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Rutherford for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), who is the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, beginning on Sunday evening, the United States of America welcomed thousands upon thousands of men and women who wear the uniform and protect and serve their communities throughout this country. Mr. Speaker, Police Week 2024 welcomes law enforcement professionals from every corner of this great Nation. Some are here to share important information. Some are here for training. Some are here for camaraderie. We have members of the Nassau County Emerald Society here celebrating their 50th anniversary. The main reason we are here, Mr. Speaker, the key to why thousands upon thousands travel to Capitol Hill for National Police Week, is to recognize, remember, and honor the men and women of law enforcement who have laid down their lives for the sake of others. Just last week, we gathered here on the House floor to pay honor to Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff's Lieutenant Michael Hoosock. We also paid tribute to law enforcement officers in North Carolina, who, on Monday, April 29, 2024, experienced the deadliest attack on law enforcement since 2016 when Joshua Eyer, Thomas Weeks, Jr., Alden Elliott, and Sam Poloche were killed in the line of duty. Mr. Speaker, just minutes ago, the FBI released their 2023 law enforcement officers killed or assaulted report. There were 60 who were killed or assaulted in the line of duty across this country. Mr. Speaker, we are here on Capitol Hill for Police Week to honor the more than 26,000 law enforcement officers that have died or been killed in the line of duty since 1786. Mr. Speaker, 136 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2023, and their names are forever etched on the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial just blocks from here. Mr. Speaker, I was proud before coming to Congress to serve in what some would argue was the greatest police department in the world, the New York City Police Department, and I had the honor to serve with some of the best of the best, the greatest detectives as an NYPD detective. Mr. Speaker, last year, 5,363 of my brothers and sisters from the NYPD were injured on the job. The NYPD PBA president Patrick Hendry has been quoted as calling assaults on the NYPD a ``full-blown epidemic.'' The 5,363 of my brothers and sisters that were assaulted or attacked in 2023 was 13 percent higher than the previous year. Mr. Speaker, there are many reasons as to why we could argue that that number continues to rise, but I think all one would have to do is turn on the news or scroll through social media or perhaps listen to news radio. Radical protests, an influx of criminal migrants at the hands of the Biden border crisis, cashless bail, and criminal justice reform--which has been a completely failed policy of Democrats in the New York State legislature starting with our Governor and working its way down through the senate and the assembly--has failed New Yorkers, and it has failed in places just like here in Washington, D.C. What do these places have in common where we see criminals having more rights than law-abiding citizens? What is the common denominator in communities and cities and counties throughout this country that have emboldened criminals, that have literally taken the handcuffs off the gun belts of law enforcement officers? Those handcuffs are now being utilized against police, not allowing them to do their job, not allowing them to go out there and live out the oath to protect and serve. Mr. Speaker, what do those places have in common? They are governed by Democrats, radical Democrats who continue each and every day to put criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. You see, we have seen the increase in police assaults. We have seen the increase in police officers being killed. Why? Because of radical protests, an influx of criminal migrants, bail reform, cashless bail, criminal justice reform, anticop rhetoric, and soft-on-crime, rogue district attorneys like Alvin Bragg in Manhattan. Mr. Speaker, 1,287 of my brothers and sisters throughout this country died from suicide between 2016 and 2022. Mr. Speaker, that number is startling. There are many reasons as to why we see law enforcement officers struggle, and it is one of the reasons as to why I am working with my colleagues to erase that stigma and to make law enforcement officers realize that there is help available and that their mental health is so critically important. We cannot put our heads in the sand. We cannot ignore the fact that law enforcement officers are seeing even more stress because of the failed policies of so many so-called leaders throughout this country. Law enforcement work is challenging and dangerous. Very often we hear a police officer responded to a routine 911 call. Mr. Speaker, and to those listening at home, no 911 call is routine. No car stop is routine. Mr. Speaker, just months ago, Police Officer Jonathan Diller of the NYPD was out doing what he does best, taking illegal firearms off the street. He and his team stopped a car, which for most would probably seem like a routine car stop. Someone was sitting at a bus stop. Police Officer Diller exited, approached the car, and was met with bullets from an illegal firearm carried by an individual who was arrested 21 times prior. Mr. Speaker, the individual who murdered Police Officer Jonathan Diller was arrested over 20 times and let back out on the street to commit more crimes. That individual should have rotted in a cell. I pray that prosecutors give him that destiny because Jonathan Diller went to work that morning, put on his bulletproof vest, and went out to the streets of the city of New York to reduce crime, to make life safer for everyday New Yorkers, and he was murdered by a career criminal who should have been behind bars. In a split second, a family was destroyed. Jonathan Diller's son will wake up every single day for the rest of his life without his father. Jonathan's widow, Stephanie, will wake up every single day without her husband. Mr. Speaker, we are gathered here in Washington, D.C., for Police Week to remember people, heroes, just like Jonathan Diller. At Jonathan's funeral when he was posthumously promoted to detective first grade, his wife spoke from the altar and said that 2 years earlier she listened in on the funeral of two other NYPD officers who were murdered and thought to herself something needs to change, the laws in New York need to change. She stood on that altar eulogizing her hero husband, pleading with elected officials in New York State to rethink their justice reform and cashless bail, but, unfortunately, it is not going to change because Democrats in New York have doubled down. You see, I made a promise when I was sworn into the New York City Police Department. I put my hand up and took an oath. I took an oath to protect and serve the Constitution. I took an oath to protect and serve the city of New York. I also made a promise in my heart to never, ever forget the men and women who I had the honor to serve with who made the ultimate sacrifice. That day at that funeral, I made that same promise to Detective First Grade Jonathan Diller that I would make sure we never forget him, and we won't. I am thankful that I have colleagues on both sides of the aisle here tonight to pay tribute to law enforcement officers throughout this country. I urge all of you to visit the memorial just blocks away and read the quote below the statue of the lion when you enter that memorial. It says: ``It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived.'' Mr. Speaker, it is not how Jonathan Diller died that made him a hero. It is how he lived. It is not how Officers Ramos and Liu, it is not how they died that made them heroes, it is how they lived. Over 30 years ago, Police Officer Steven McDonald from my Congressional District was shot at point blank range in Central Park by a group of teenage thugs. He went to the hospital where they said he wasn't expected to live, but Steven McDonald fought back every single day. His wife, Patti Ann, prayed by his bedside. His son, Conor, my good friend, was baptized at his hospital bed. Steven McDonald spent his life advocating for the New York City Police Department and for law enforcement officers throughout this country. He talked about peace and forgiveness and forgave his near assassins. Steven McDonald was from the Fourth Congressional District, and just a couple of weeks ago I got to witness his son being promoted to captain of the New York City Police Department, and Conor continues to preserve the legacy of his great father, Steven. Mr. Speaker, that is another example of it is not how he died that made him a hero, it is how Steven McDonald lived that made him a hero. We are gathered here in Washington, D.C., for Police Week to honor those men and women who are heroes because we promised to never forget. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford) my good friend and brother in blue.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Williams and my colleagues who join us here tonight to salute two fallen heroes. Just weeks ago, we stood on the floor of this great House and saluted another member of law enforcement whose life was taken far too soon by a career-long criminal. When Jonathan Diller's wife and widow spoke at his funeral, she pleaded with those in attendance and said that just a couple of years prior, she listened to the funeral of two other NYPD officers who had lost their lives to career criminals. She pleaded that it wouldn't happen again and asked the elected officials who were in that church to make changes so that criminals did not have the upper hand and so that law enforcement could actually use the tools in their gun belts to effect change and to keep communities safe. I was joined by colleagues from all throughout the country again just weeks ago to salute Detective Jonathan Diller. Sadly, here we are again, paying tribute to Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff's Lieutenant Michael Hoosock, who paid and made that ultimate sacrifice, who legitimately were standing the line between good and evil and paid the price with their lives on April 14. Just a couple of weeks later, in North Carolina, four more law enforcement officers paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty: Joshua Eyer of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Thomas Weeks of the United States Marshals Service, Alden Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, and Sam Poloche of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. What is happening is that police officers are dying in record numbers. More than 23,000 members of law enforcement have died in the line of duty since 1786, and 136 members of law enforcement died in 2023. In my home State of New York and in the department that I was proud to serve for 16 years as a detective, 5,363 of my brothers and sisters were injured on the job in 2023. Our PBA president has called the assaults ``a full-blown epidemic.'' The total of 5,363 attacks in 2023 was 13 percent higher than the previous year. People keep asking why and what the issue is. The issue is that in New York, we have a State legislature led by Democrats who have chosen to put criminals before law-abiding citizens, passing insane laws like cashless bail and criminal justice reform without ever once having a conversation with the men and women who actually fight crime each and every day, who go out on that street, who put those uniforms on, who pin their shields to their chests and go out and wrestle career criminals, take guns off the street, close out murders, and dismantle gangs. There never once was a conversation with any of them. What it has led to is a more dangerous New York. What it has led to is a New York where criminals feel emboldened. In fact, Mr. Speaker, when you go into stores now in New York and across this country, there are everyday things that we want to buy that are locked up. Why? Criminals are emboldened because Democrats across this country, and specifically in New York, have failed the American people. They have made our State less safe. To the family sitting in the gallery: Realize that you have elected officials not only in this body but across this country who will fight each and every day for our brothers and sisters in blue. To Nicole, Samuel, and Gabriel: You may not have your father to walk you to that first hockey game, to that first day of school, to something important in your life, but realize that you have law enforcement officers from across this country who will walk by your side each and every day because that is exactly what we promised when we took our oath. We promised that we would never forget our fallen. Mr. Speaker, next week, thousands upon thousands of law enforcement officers from around this country will come here to the Nation's Capital to pay tribute and homage to the men and women who have paid and made the ultimate sacrifice. Just weeks ago, they started etching the names of hundreds of members of law enforcement who gave their lives in 2023. Etched in one of the statues at our National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is a quote. It says: ``It is not how these officers died that made them heroes; it is how they lived.'' To the family of our heroes who are here tonight, realize it is not how they died that made them heroes. It is about how they lived. It is about the change they made. It is about the arrests of the criminals that they put behind bars. It is about how they went out there each and every day to make their community that much safer. Realize that we will carry on their legacy forever because that is our job. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues who are here this evening who haven't worn the uniform and who are speaking out on behalf of all of those who do. Law enforcement throughout this country needs to hear that they have people supporting them, who will pass legislation to keep them safe and to give them the resources they need to defend themselves and keep their communities safe. I thank Mr. Williams for gathering us here this evening to make sure that we pay tribute to the fallen. I promise we will never forget.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Chair, I rise this morning in strong opposition to H.R. 4639, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act. While I thank my good friends and colleagues and House Republicans from the Committee on the Judiciary for all the work that they do to keep law enforcement safe and to give law enforcement the resources they need to protect and serve, this bill is only going to hinder their ability to investigate crimes. Like my good friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford) said, you cannot arrest a suspect without probable cause. The information that is no longer going to be obtained by law enforcement agencies is information that has already been legally collected. Nearly every major law enforcement union and agency throughout this country is opposed to this legislation. I was proud to serve in the City of New York Police Department as a detective. It has investigated thousands of crimes, and we have utilized these third-party platforms to obtain information that has already been legally collected. This legislation would, without a doubt, make communities less safe and, in the process, would also lead us to follow in the same disastrous direction that New York Democrats have by handcuffing the ability of law enforcement to do their jobs.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 883. I rise today, as well, to thank House Republican leadership for bringing my resolution to a vote as part of their swift and necessary response to Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel. My resolution condemns the slogan ``from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'' because it is blatantly anti-Semitic. Madam Speaker, it is no coincidence that this slogan has been embraced by not only the violent, barbaric leaders of Hamas, but also countless other terrorist organizations and adversarial nations like Iran. I remind my colleagues that this slogan was used by Iranian leaders responsible for the recent attacks on Israel. It is also no coincidence that this phrase has roots in Hamas' charter, a document which explicitly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. When anti-Semitic activists, masquerading as merely pro-Palestinian, spray-painted this slogan on the site of the 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli Olympians, we know and they know exactly what they are communicating. This slogan communicates one thing and one thing only. It is not human rights. It is certainly not peace. It is the violent destruction of the State of Israel and the Jewish people that live within it. Madam Speaker, at a time in history when anti-Semitic attacks have surged nearly 400 percent following Hamas' brutal, unprovoked October 7 attack on Israel, we need this resolution now more than ever. When Jewish students throughout this Nation and in my home State of New York at universities like Columbia and Cooper Union speak up about the anti- Semitism they are facing, they cite phrases and slogans just like these. Too often, events that may have started as peaceful protests quickly cross the line and turn into anti-Semitic, anti-Jew rallies. Perhaps the most common denominator in these instances is the presence of this slogan. It is not simply a slogan; it is a threat. It is a threat to Israel. It is a threat to the Jewish people. It does not get us any closer to peace. It gets us further from it. To employ this slogan is to perpetuate the cause of hate and regional instability. I remind my colleagues that the Anti-Defamation League regards the slogan as anti-Semitic and a cry for Israel to not exist. The ADL informs us that to use this slogan is to call for ``effectively erasing and destroying the entire Jewish state.'' I remind my colleagues that between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea sits America's strongest ally, the Middle East's only democracy, and the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. As the Representative of the most Jewish communities in this country, it is very clear that we need to act. Between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea sits Israel, a free, diverse nation, a safe haven for Jewish people formed in the wake of the mass murder of European Jews. When the world witnessed the tragedies of the Holocaust, we said: ``Never again.'' Now is our chance to mean it and to reject anti- Semitic hate in all of its forms whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Houchin), my good friend.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to submit extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and honor the service of a murdered New York City Police Officer, Jonathan Diller. I rise today also to honor his wife, Stephanie, and his 1-year-old son, Ryan. They both will spend the rest of their lives reeling from the loss of a beloved husband and father in a way that none of us can fully understand. Jonathan Diller's death is a national tragedy. It is an indescribable loss not only for his family, for Long Island, for the great State of New York, but for the United States of America and law enforcement in every corner of this globe. Horrifically, Officer Diller's death is not the only death endured by the NYPD in recent memory. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as well to honor the lives and service of Anastasios Tsakos, Jason Rivera, Wilbert Mora, Adeed Fayaz. We pray for these slain NYPD heroes and their families, and we remind those retired and those serving here in the House of Representatives that we will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor as well, the some 374 officers slain in the line of duty since President Biden began to steadily chip away at law and order in this country since 2021. President Biden and allied politicians in Governor's mansions, District Attorneys' offices, and right here in the House of Representatives may pay lipservice to these officers and their families, but their votes, their rhetoric, their spewing of hatred tell a very different story. Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why Governor Hochul's presence was universally rebuked by those, including myself, in attendance at now Detective First Grade Diller's wake. The reason, Mr. Speaker, Governor Hochul and far-left lawmakers have at every single turn prioritized equity over the lives of men and women who wear the uniform. They have pursued disastrous, procriminal policies when they could have and should have pursued public safety. As a result, brave public servants and innocent Americans are paying the price in blood, and we have, thankfully, across this country many organizations who support men and women in blue in some of our worst times. Some of them are here with us today. I will thank Project Thank Cop for being here and always supporting men and women in blue. Public safety is not rocket science. When we witness record assaults and attacks against law enforcement officers, we begin to look at those in power in these places and wonder why are they choosing to allow this to happen. When Americans and New Yorkers watch videos of illegal migrants brutally beating NYPD officers in Times Square, we begin to look at those in power and wonder why they choose to allow these people to be here in the first place. Just minutes ago, the New York Post issued another article. It is titled: ``Migrant repeat offenders viciously attack cops during bust for ransacking NYC Target.'' Whether it is cashless bail or open borders, the common denominator among these stories is radical progressive policy and the American people know, see, and suffer this reality. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle--not all of them, but some of them--are no doubt aware that the animal who shot Officer Diller had 21 prior arrests. He had 21 prior arrests for charges ranging from drug convictions to assault to hate crimes. When someone like Detective Diller's killer can commit heinous acts of violence, be apprehended, and then let out on the street the same day, we have a problem. Mr. Speaker, that problem lies not with the police, not with the men and women of law enforcement, not with the men and women who put on that shield and that gun belt every day. Mr. Speaker, it lies with elected officials who have no regard for public safety. Time and time again, those elected officials have chosen to preserve this revolving door of criminality through their explicit embrace of policies like cashless bail and open borders. The American people know that it does not need to be this way and that it was not this way until very recently when those in power changed course. Mr. Speaker, nightmares like those of Officer Diller will continue to occupy our headlines and our hearts. You are going to hear from other Members from the great State of New York tonight. In New York, not only is our Governor a Democrat, but the State legislature is also run by Democrats. Not only are they saying that cashless bail is working and that criminal justice reform is working, but they are doubling down and saying that it is better for the city and the State of New York. Mr. Speaker, I plead with my colleagues in all branches of government to come to their senses. I humbly ask that they listen to law enforcement experts. Give them the tools they need. Do not take the handcuffs from officers' gun belts that are meant to be used on criminals and use them on them. Let them do their jobs. I ask that they change course, that they understand in their reckless pursuit of equity and social justice, they are hurting those trying to protect us. In my years as an NYPD detective, I saw enough death and suffering. We don't need to see more. Mr. Speaker, that morning just a week ago, when Stephanie Diller gave the eulogy for her hero husband, she mentioned the funerals of Police Officers Mora and Rivera and referenced the speakers who said that we needed change. To those elected officials who were in that church in Massapequa, and of course the thousands upon thousands in the streets and the thousands listening at home, she asked a simple question: What has changed? In places like New York that are run by Democrats, the answer is nothing. Nothing has changed in our pursuit of justice. The only thing that has changed is people's lives have become more dangerous, and our streets have become more dangerous. We don't need to see more death and suffering. We don't need to see more nightmares like Detective First Grade Diller. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Williams), my good friend.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew), my good friend.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia), my friend.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean).

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro), someone who throughout his career in public service has always supported law enforcement, whether as a State legislator or as a county executive.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, we have heard this evening from Members of this body from throughout the country that we are faced with a problem, and the problem is that in far too many places, in far too many progressive Democrat cities and States, we have chosen to put criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. Throughout the last couple of weeks, many of us who support law enforcement and support the repeal of cashless bail, have heard the naysayers talking about gun violence and that Republicans should focus more on banning certain types of weapons. I would point out that in a place like New York, we have on the books some of the strictest gun laws in the country. I myself have taken hundreds of guns off the street as a New York City detective, and I will tell you that there was one thing in common with those hundreds of arrests for firearms: Never once was I presented with a license to carry it. You see, the guns being used to kill people throughout this country are illegal firearms, illegal handguns. Just weeks ago, the Committee on House Administration held a hearing to discuss the violence here in the Nation's Capital. We, again, from the other side of the aisle were poised with the question: Well, what about banning certain types of guns? We heard from law enforcement professionals with almost 80 years of combined service, and they gave us the facts. They said of the hundreds of guns recovered, over 90 percent of them were illegal handguns. You see no signs in cities that say a no handgun zone. That is not going to solve the problem. Banning certain types of weapons, those aren't the weapons that are killing people. Those are not the weapons that killed the brave hero and detective from New York City. What we need is to have district attorneys actually enforce the law, actually live up to the oath that they took to be the highest ranking law enforcement officer in their jurisdiction, not someone like in New York City and Manhattan, where we have a rogue DA by the name of Alvin Bragg, who even before he took his oath of office, he thought that it was his job not to enforce the laws, but in New York apparently rewrite the penal code, and only enforced those laws that he deemed necessary. Well, we see where that ended up. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from across this country who joined with me here this evening to salute Detective First Grade Jonathan Diller. Mr. Speaker, when I took the oath to become a member of the NYPD, I raised my right hand and I swore to protect and serve but I also made a promise, and that is the same promise that law enforcement officers make throughout this country when they take their oath, and that is to never, ever, ever forget our fallen brothers and sisters. For those on the other side of the aisle in State houses throughout this country and in this Chamber, and our colleagues on the other side of the House who think that the failed progressive policies that they have put in place are actually working, I ask them to do one thing. I remember the night when Officers Ramos and Liu were shot and killed in Brooklyn, New York, and I heard the radio transmissions. I have listened to the radio transmission of Officer Diller and his partner just weeks ago when they were at what they thought was just a routine car stop. When you hear Officer Diller yell into the radio that he had been shot, I ask my colleagues who think that these failed policies aren't putting people in danger, sit down and listen to those blood- curdling radio transmissions. Mr. Speaker, in just a few weeks from now, there will be thousands, tens of thousands of law enforcement agencies from throughout this country here. They will make their way to Capitol Hill. Just the other day they began to engrave the names of fallen officers from throughout this Nation on our Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. We will gather. We will gather on the lawn for the vigil, and we will commemorate and pay homage to every single member of law enforcement who died in the line of duty. On the statue at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, there is a beautiful statue of a lion, and underneath that lion is a simple quote. It says: ``It is not how these officers died that make them heroes, it is how they lived.'' Mr. Speaker, it is not how Detective First Grade Jonathan Diller died that made him a hero, it is also how he lived. He was a loving father, a giving husband, someone who surrounded himself with friends who wanted to be near him because he made them laugh. He made them feel special. Even with just a few years on the job, he went out into some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city of New York and did real police work. He was willing to stop those cars to take those illegal guns off the street, even when he knew that district attorneys wouldn't do their best to prosecute. He went out there and did God's work. He did the work that he took the oath and swore that he would do. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my colleagues for sharing this hour not only with me, but with the family of Detective Diller, with members of law enforcement throughout this country, and with the NYPD. Every night I pray for the mayor of the city of New York, Mayor Adams; our police commissioner, Ed Caban; the hierarchy of the NYPD; and the rank and file, the men and women who go out there each and every day to do that great work. You see, the men and women that we have honored tonight, it is not how they died that make them heroes, it is how they lived. I thank all law enforcement officers throughout this country, whether it is right here in this beautiful Capitol building and the Capitol Police that protect us each and every day, to the counties, the cities, the villages, the States, from sea to shining sea. Stay safe. And realize that in a country where each and every night we watch the news and it seems like in our social media streams that all elected officials are fighting against the good work of law enforcement, there are good people that are praying for them, that are rooting for them, that are making sure that they have the resources each and every day to do the job that they need to do. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Chip Roy from Texas, for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of some incredible high school athletes from across the Fourth Congressional District back on Long Island in New York. I would like to congratulate both the Elmont Memorial High School boys' basketball team for winning the New York State championship in their class, as well as the Baldwin High School boys' team for being crowned Nassau County champions. The girls' teams across the district had a remarkable season, as well, with East Meadow High School winning its first Nassau County championship in its history earlier this month. I also must give a shoutout to the boys' basketball team from my alma mater, Chaminade High School, for a big win in double overtime to secure the CHSAA Class A New York State championship. I am incredibly proud of these student athletes who represented our community with pride and made memories that will last a lifetime. I wish these Nassau County neighbors nothing but success in their future academic and athletic endeavors, and we will continue to advocate to make sure that girls play girls' basketball and that boys play boys' basketball. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas for the opportunity to speak.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation which will provide a short-term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration's authorities to May 10, allowing the Senate to finish work on their 5-year FAA reauthorization before finalizing language with the House. One of my major priorities is addressing the staffing shortages at the New York TRACON facility. This key and crucial facility directs planes in and out of the New York City and Long Island areas. This facility has been experiencing staffing issues for many years, which has led to many issues for the FAA, pilots, and, of course, passengers. These challenges led the FAA to implement a plan to transfer workers out of the N90 facility right in the heart of my district and ship them off to Philadelphia. I was proud to secure language in the House's H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, to prevent any staff cuts or forced transfers from affecting the N90 TRACON facilities--again, in the heart of my district. I was also pleased to see language the Senate's FAA reauthorization also includes regarding this issue. This language would ensure that there is a third-party review on the need for, and the consequences of, a move from the N90 to any other facility. I look forward to working with leaders of these committees to ensure that these provisions are included in the final FAA reauthorization. Long Islanders should not be forced out of N90. I will continue to fight for these staffing protections. I will continue to fight for Long Island. I will continue to fight for the Empire State.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, we have been in this Chamber for a few minutes now, and we have been reminded at least three times with fancy posters and words from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle about how we got here. Clearly, we know how we got here, and that is why we are trying to fix it. We have also heard that, well, we don't want to support this because it is only 1 year, and we have heard offers of 2 years. We just got past the Super Bowl, and I am pretty confident that for every play in football, you don't get to throw a Hail Mary and score a touchdown or run a 90-yard run back into the end zone. Sometimes you need to make your way down the field in order to score that touchdown. That is exactly what we are trying to do here. My constituents in New York's Fourth Congressional District sent me here to Congress to provide meaningful tax relief to local families, and the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act will do exactly that. This important bill would double the State and local tax deduction for married couples from $10,000 to $20,000 for the 2023 tax year. This would allow middle-class families to receive tax relief when they file this year. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act wrongly penalized married taxpayers as the $10,000 cap was implemented for single taxpayers as well as married couples who filed jointly. Married couples were further penalized with the establishment of a $5,000 SALT cap if these taxpayers filed separately. The SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act fixes an anti-family policy and will help middle-class families across New York and the country. Since my first day here in the House of Representatives, I advocated for lifting the SALT cap, including as current vice chair of the House SALT Caucus. This bill is an important first step to deliver needed tax relief for constituents and increasing or ultimately removing the SALT cap. We have heard countless stories of Americans who are suffering from sky-high inflation due to the Biden administration's rising gas and grocery prices and out-of-control spending. We must advance these policies. Just the other day, Leader Jeffries sent out a tweet that New York Republicans were sent here to provide SALT relief, and they have failed because it wasn't in the tax package. Mr. Speaker, it will be on the floor just today. We look forward to Leader Jeffries and others supporting this for New Yorkers and this country.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to salute the long, storied career of Chief Bobby Hughes of the East Meadow Fire Department. He has been in the Nassau County Fire Service for over 40 years. He rose through the ranks, becoming the chief of the department from 1997 to 1998. He was instrumental in forming the East Meadow Fire Department Chiefs Association. He is the current band leader of the Nassau County Firefighters Pipes and Drums and led that very band down Pennsylvania Avenue for the inauguration of President Trump. He joined the Nassau County Fire Service Academy as an instructor in 2003 and has risen through the ranks. This week, he will walk out of the Nassau County Fire Service Academy for the last time as the chief instructor. He has made it a beacon of education and training, not just in Nassau County but across the country. Madam Speaker, I join the Nassau County Fire Service in saluting Chief Bobby Hughes and thanking him for his career in keeping our county safe and training the future of the fire service.

Mr. D'ESPOSITO

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an incredible man and Fourth District neighbor, Fred Zeilberger. Mr. Zeilberger is a Holocaust survivor, Korean war veteran, dedicated husband, proud father, and an American whose life is a testament to the power of perseverance. Born in 1929 in Wurzburg, Germany, Fred faced extreme hardship at the hands of Nazi forces, who forced him into a camp in Latvia and later the Stutthof concentration camp in Poland, where he was eventually liberated. While Fred survived, the evil Nazi war machine murdered his mother and sister. Fred's father also died shortly after being liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp. After surviving the horrors of World War II, Fred emigrated to the United States of America in 1947 in search of new opportunities. A few years later, in 1951, Fred donned the uniform of his adopted country after being drafted into the United States Army during the Korean war, where he served as a butcher. Fred's tenure in the Army was followed by a lengthy career in the wholesale meat industry, where he established his own business in 1956. This proud businessowner chose to make his home in Cedarhurst, alongside his wife, Elaine, and three children, Jenna, Rachel, and Zane. Fred has long been an important part of the village of Cedarhurst community and locales far beyond. His ongoing service as a Holocaust educator provides younger generations an important witness to the atrocities that occurred during that dark time in human history. I am immensely grateful for Fred's life of service, the sacrifices he made in defense of this Nation, and his lifelong commitment to never forgetting the Shoa. In that vein, I was happy to see Fred recognized during this year's Holocaust Remembrance Day service in Nassau County by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, where attendees were able to learn of his story and struggle. Fred Zeilberger has culturally enriched the communities that comprise New York's Fourth Congressional District, and I am grateful to call him a Nassau County neighbor. I thank Mr. Zeilberger for his work and his dedication to the truth, to his family, to history, and to this country. Honoring Bob Beckwith

Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today on a sad occasion to honor the life of a dedicated family man, committed first responder, and proud American who passed away this past Sunday, Bob Beckwith, of Baldwin, New York, a resident of the Fourth Congressional District. Bob Beckwith had a storied career serving the people of New York City as an FDNY firefighter. Bob joined the FDNY in 1965 and was assigned to Ladder 117 in Astoria, Queens, before transferring to Ladder 164 in Douglaston, where he served until his retirement in 1994. During Bob's 29-year tenure in the FDNY, he faithfully protected the people of the city of New York, but in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Bob became more than just a hero for New York. He became a national symbol of American resilience. Even though Bob was retired, he made his way to Ground Zero after the attacks to help search for survivors. While there, he stood shoulder to shoulder with President George Bush when the President delivered his famous ``I can hear you'' speech that rallied a Nation in mourning. You see, Bob handed over a megaphone so that the people at Ground Zero could hear the President, but little did he know that that megaphone would allow the people across the world to hear the President that day. His presence alongside President Bush demonstrated that, even in one of this country's darkest hours, there were still brave Americans giving it their all to rescue neighbors. The image of Bob standing atop the wreckage of Engine 76 will forever be etched into our Nation's history. The Nation heard President Bush's rousing speech on that day in 2001, but everyone watching also witnessed Bob Beckwith's quiet courage. While Bob left us last weekend, I know his spirit will live on in the lives of his 6 children, 10 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, the heroes of the FDNY, and every American who loves this country as much as Bob Beckwith did. Rest in peace to a Fourth Congressional District neighbor, a dear friend, an American hero, Bob Beckwith. My thoughts are with his widow, Barbara, and the entire Beckwith family during this difficult time. Mr. Beckwith, a final tip of the helmet to you. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.