David Reichert

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 606) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain compensation received by public safety officers and their dependents from gross income.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include statements and extraneous material on H.R. 606 currently under consideration.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), who is also a member of the Ways and Means Committee, for introducing the legislation that we are considering today. Mr. Paulsen has been a great champion for our Nation's law enforcement, and this bill will provide much-needed relief to the families of fallen public safety officers. As we celebrate National Police Week, we are reminded of the sacrifices of our many brave men and women who wear the badge. When law enforcement officers pay the ultimate price and give their lives in the line of duty, we have a responsibility to help take care of the families that they leave behind. For too long, the law has been silent on whether the benefits surviving spouses and dependents receive through State and Federal Public Safety Officers' Benefits programs are subject to Federal income tax. This bill will remove all ambiguity and codify the IRS' 1977 ruling that PSOB benefits should not be subject to taxation. When a public safety officer has been catastrophically injured or killed in the line of duty, their families should not also have to deal with paying taxes on the benefits they receive after that loved one has paid the ultimate price while protecting their fellow Americans. The sacrifices of our men and women who wear the badge keep us safe, and now we have the opportunity to help provide for those that they leave behind. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen).

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I inquire of Mr. Pascrell if he has any additional speakers.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to agree with the comments made by Mr. Pascrell and Mr. Paulsen on how important this legislation is to the families who have lost a loved one. They should not be burdened further with additional taxes on the benefits that that family should be receiving, the sad loss of their loved one in service to their community. This is the second bill tonight that we are considering in support of and showing our appreciation for and honoring those who serve across this country today and who have lost their lives in service to this country and all the communities across this great Nation. In fact, the first piece of legislation that we considered earlier was the Blue Alert legislation, and that was one of the recommendations that came out of the President's own police and community task force. So, as Mr. Pascrell said, not only are the Members of the House and the Senate in agreement here, but also the administration, which is a moment that we all need to pause and appreciate that we are all together on this. We see how important and how critical this legislation is and how important and critical it is to show our support for those men and women who leave their families each and every day to keep us safe. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2146 currently under consideration.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act, H.R. 2146, is a straightforward bill that would simply ensure fairness to public safety officials by extending the same treatment that applies to State and local public safety officials to Federal public safety officials as well. I spent 33 years in law enforcement. I know from my own experience and from those with whom I worked just how strenuous a job protecting our fellow Americans can be. You never know when or what kind of situation you might be called to intervene in. It is taxing both mentally and physically. I could tell lots of stories here tonight over my 33-year career to illustrate that point, but I won't put Congress through that. Sometimes it is so mentally and physically draining that many law enforcement officials are subject to mandatory retirement at young ages. Think of someone who has spent an entire lifetime, 30, 35 years, in law enforcement, and the things that they have witnessed and seen. I was a homicide detective. I, unfortunately, was in an assignment where you had to process the scenes of murder victims and collect the remains of people who had been victims of serious assaults resulting in death. Those memories never leave you. The stress of responding to a ``person with a gun'' call, a ``man with a knife,'' a domestic violence call, and never knowing what is going to happen day after day after day in responding to those calls--it is a stressful job. Through no fault of their own, they may need to access savings earlier than a standard retirement age. So we should ensure they are granted access without penalty. Under the current law, Mr. Speaker, individuals who attempt to access their retirement savings before the age of 59\1/2\ are hit with a 10 percent tax. In 2006 Congress removed this penalty for State and local government public safety officers accessing their retirement accounts at the age of 50. This legislation would give Federal law enforcement officers, Federal firefighters, and air traffic controllers, who often must retire early, the same treatment. They are treated equally as local officials and officers. We previously recognized the need for this to happen at the State and local level, and it is just common sense that Federal public safety officials should receive the same opportunity. When it comes down to it, these men and women have spent a majority of their lives protecting us, and because of that, we should be able to protect them from the IRS. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wanted to just comment on some of the words from my friend, Mr. Pascrell. Again, I appreciate his partnership in co-chairing the Law Enforcement Caucus with me and all those who are members of the Law Enforcement Caucus in recognizing this is a very important week, a sad week, for a lot of families that are here in Washington, D.C., putting names of their loved ones on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. On Thursday night, there will be a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. On Friday afternoon, with the President, there will be a service on the front lawn of the Capitol recognizing those who lost their lives in service to their communities across this country with all of those family members present in the audience. There are three bills tonight that we considered that have come together to really, I think, show bipartisan support from the administration, to the House of Representatives, to the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans coming together to show their support for the men and women who wear the badge and the uniform across this country. There are still things that we can do, and people wonder what the Federal Government can do for local law enforcement. Well, we showed three things tonight that we can do to help local law enforcement and show our support for them. Mr. Pascrell pointed out, I think, one other, and that is the retirement issue. I think that is another thing that we can work on. I agree with Mr. Pascrell on that issue. I think that there is another issue that we can work on that some Members may not be fully aware of, and that is the delayed payment of death benefits for those killed in the line of duty. For example, Mr. Speaker, in my community, a police officer died in the line of duty over 3\1/2\ years ago--3\1/2\ years ago--and, as far as I know, today, his family has still not received the death benefit that is due. Three-and-a-half years is too long for a family to wait when their loved one has lost their life in service to this country. Mr. Pascrell and I will continue to work together with the law enforcement organizations across this country looking for ways that we can support them and show that we care and show the families that we care. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Seattle Times on winning a Pulitzer Prize for ``Breaking News Reporting'' this year for their coverage of the Oso, Washington mudslide. This is the third time in just five years that the Seattle Times has received this prestigious honor, and their tenth total Pulitzer Prize. Although Editor Kathy Best said that the paper simply ``did what any good newsroom should do when a big story breaks'', it is clear that they went above and beyond and raised the bar for reporters and news publications across the country. The Seattle Times is the largest daily paper in Washington State and has been serving the greater Seattle area since 1891. This latest achievement only adds to their legacy of community service and I look forward to many more years of them reporting the news of my home state.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a young girl, only 12 years old, who went above and beyond the call of duty for public service. Makenna Schwab, from East Wenatchee, Washington, set out to make a difference in her community by collecting toys and donations for kids at Seattle Children's Hospital. Last October, with the help of her friends at Wenatchee Pediatric Dentistry, she collected enough donations for 33 Radio Flyer wagons, 36 portable DVD players, and more than 1,300 toys and other goods for young boys and girls courageously battling disease at Seattle Children's. Even more remarkable, Makenna was born with Larsen syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder, and is a frequent patient herself at Seattle Children's Hospital. It was this experience that inspired her to want to give back to other kids going through similar experiences, and she did not let her disease stand in her way. This is Makenna's third Make a Difference Day campaign, and she is proving that one 12 year-old girl can make a lasting impact on the lives of her friends, family, and community members. On May 6th, Makenna will be recognized in Washington, D.C., as a National Make a Difference Day award recipient. She will receive a $10,000 grant to further enable her passion for public service and charitable work. Makenna's selfless actions and commitment to public service is an inspiration to all of us, and for that we honor her.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Eatonville, Washington Town Marshal Dolar LaPlant who was killed in 1925 and his daughter and great-granddaughter who fought to see him recognized for his heroic sacrifice. In 1925, Mr. LaPlant was 53 years old and a Spanish-American War veteran. While on duty as Town Marshal, just four days after stepping into that position, he confronted a drunken gunman who was firing shots and narrowly missing small children at a playground. Mr. LaPlant did not stop to think about his own life or the fact that he was unarmed. He simply did everything in his power to ensure that his town was kept safe. The gunman shot Mr. LaPlant just below his right ear before he was knocked unconscious. Mr. LaPlant achieved his mission but would later die from the wound he received. For many years, his heroic actions went unremembered except by his family, particularly his daughter Rosa and his great-granddaughter Ronda. In 1999, Ronda succeeded in having Dolar LaPlant added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall and now her great-grandfather and his legacy will be honored posthumously with the Washington Medal of Honor on May 9th. I applaud Ronda's hard work and join with her in honoring the memory of Town Marshal Dolar LaPlant whose service ensured the safety of the residents of Eatonville, Washington.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas for bringing this bill to the floor and for his hard work on this bill. I appreciate the opportunity to speak today in support of this bill. I am proud to be a cosponsor. The story is the same across this country in all of our districts, whether you have heard that today from every Member or not. Businessowners and farmers work hard for their entire lives with the goal of passing on the first fruits of their labor but face the sometimes insurmountable hurdle of the death tax. And, in addition to the actual tax liability the death tax imposes, merely planning for it, regardless of whether these businesspeople and farmers end up owing it, it is yet another challenge. Last month, when I chaired the hearing in the Select Revenue Subcommittee on this bill, we heard from three witnesses: a rancher, a farmer, and a product distributor. Their stories were the same. This is an onerous tax, creating hours and hours and months of work by attorneys and by their own employees trying to figure out how they are going to keep their business in their family. One businessowner said, for the first 26 years working in his family business--26 years he spent trying to figure out how to meet the death tax. When one relative was about to pass away, they had another death tax issue they had to address. Another relative was about to pass away and did pass away, and again they had to address the death tax. This is an issue that the other side wants to make between the rich and the poor. This is about average American men and women, businessowners across this country trying to keep their family-owned business and protect their hard work.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for allowing me time to speak, recognizing that Texas is also affected--one of the States affected by this bill, as well as Washington State, which is the State where I come from, and several other States. I rise to support H.R. 622, the State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Fairness Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation. Madam Speaker, this bill is really about two things. It is about fairness, and it is about certainty. Fairness because Washington is one of, as I said, several States without an income tax--and by allowing this deduction of State and local taxes, this legislation will put Washingtonians on the same level as those people who live in States that have an income tax. That is all. It is plain and simple. It is fairness. That is all we are asking for in this bill. Certainty because people work hard, they pay their sales taxes, and at the end of the year, they want to know for sure that they can deduct their sales taxes. That is all it is, fairness and certainty. Fairness puts us on parity with the rest of the States across the country and certainty in allowing those people in the State of Washington, Texas, and others to know that, when they spend and pay their sales taxes, they can deduct those from their Federal income taxes at the end of the year. That is it.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 93, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today, I wish to honor an extraordinary woman who testified before the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources while I was chairman. Sandra Collins, from my home state of Washington, has seen a lot in her life. She dealt with domestic violence, addiction, homelessness, separation from her children, and depression. She didn't let any of this stop her. With the help of the WorkFirst Community Jobs Program and Goodwill, she turned her life around. Now, not only is Sandra clean, employed, and reunited with her children, she is succeeding beyond her own expectations. On February 19th, a new Goodwill Outlet Store will open in Olympia, WA. Sandra will be its manager. The new store brings jobs and hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local economy--and when local economies are thriving, so is our national economy. I could not be more proud of Sandra and what she has achieved. I am honored to have met her and am so pleased that her testimony will help shape future legislation. I congratulate her today, on her success and her hard work. She is an example for all.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the late Lt. Col. Ed Saylor. Lt. Col. Saylor was part of the infamous Doolittle Raiders who risked their lives during World War II. These men were responsible for raising the morale of an entire nation after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. Lt. Col. Saylor passed away Wednesday, but he is not gone from our hearts. His heroic actions will tell his story long after we are gone. Without him, the USS Hornet's plane number 15, also known as ``TNT'' and a critical part of the Doolittle Raid, would never have flown in 1941. Sgt. Saylor, as he was then, was able to remove and repair the engine of ``TNT''--the first time this had ever been done at sea. He was also responsible for writing the words ``Democracy's Ace in the Hole'' on the side of the plane just before take-off. This message and symbolism would resonate for the duration of the war, helping to remind our troops that our side was fighting the right battle. Mr. Speaker, Lt. Col. Saylor went above and beyond the call of duty. He served our country in the military for 28 years; he helped America rise to greatness from the brink of despair, propelling us to victory. We will never forget him and I am proud to have called him my friend. I will always cherish his gift of a stained glass B52 Bomber he had hand-made himself.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take some time on the floor of the United States Congress--the House of Representatives, to be specific--to honor and recognize the service of our law enforcement agencies across this great country. You know, we have been dealing with the reactions from the tragic death of Michael Brown last August. Almost continually, every week, we hear of some tragic death, a shooting incident across this country. And we all understand and realize that all loss of life is a tragedy, but there has been an outbreak of violence across this great country that is equally disturbing, resulting in the brutal assassination of two law enforcement officers just before Christmas. Mr. Speaker, I was a law enforcement officer for 33 years in King County, which is a county in Seattle, Washington. I started when I was 21 years old in 1972. I worked in a police car, and I was a detective. I worked the street undercover for a short time. I never knew when I left home if I would see my family, when would be the next time that I would see my wife, my children. When I told them good-bye for a day at the office, I didn't know if I was coming back home and neither did they. But every law enforcement officer across this great country lives with that knowledge, and every family member lives with that fear. I have missed holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. I would be called out in the middle of the day or the middle of the night or on the weekend. I remember one day missing my daughter's birthday. On Christmas Eve, I remember driving around in the middle of the night patrolling, while others had their relatives parked in their driveways; and they were in, sharing Christmas dinner and presents with their family and friends. But once a cop, always a cop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have been in Congress for 10 years, but I was a cop for 33 years. A lot of people think ``cop'' is a derogatory remark, but it is actually a badge of honor. I was the sheriff for the last 8 years of my career. One thing I said when I left, if the members of the King County Sheriff's Office, which are nearly 1,100--it is the 12th largest sheriff's office in the country--said that Dave Reichert was a great cop, that is what meant the world to me. If they said I was a good sheriff, that was icing on the cake, but I just wanted to be known as a good cop working my district and my beat and doing the job that I was trained to do and serving the public. Police officers do what they do because they care. They go to work every day because they want to save lives, not to take lives. They put up with ridicule and harassment, assaults, and even the ultimate sacrifice--death--always facing dangerous situations, putting their lives between their communities--the public--and danger. Sometimes, as I said, the ultimate sacrifice is made. During my career, I lost a partner and a good friend who was shot and killed in 1982. In 1984, I lost another partner and a good friend who was stabbed to death with a sword. These men died serving and protecting their community, but they left behind family. They left behind sons, daughters, spouses, orphaned children, and widowed. The men and women who keep us safe find themselves in life-and-death situations far too often. In many instances, Mr. Speaker, taking down a bad guy means losing a good guy too. Life-and-death situations are never easy. I remember one instance that I was working plainclothes and went in with a group of my team of officers on a drug search warrant. I was the sergeant leading that team. My assignment was to go in the front door, turn to the right, and make sure that the bathroom in that small apartment was secure. We went in the front door. I kicked in the bathroom door, and I found a person sitting on the toilet. As he stood, he revealed that he had a rubber band around his bicep and a heroin needle stuck in his arm. I could see that his eyes were glazed over. I told him to raise his hands; instead of doing that, he grabbed a gun. Now, Mr. Speaker, I could have shot that man. In a split second, he grabbed a gun, and my life was in danger, but I had a feeling I could talk him out of that gun. I just had a feeling I could reason with this man, even though he was high on heroin. I didn't shoot, and I was able to talk him out of his gun. In fact, he dropped it in the toilet. What would you do, Mr. Speaker, if you were standing there with that decision? In an instant, you had to make a decision: shoot or don't shoot. Our men and women who wear uniforms every day have to make that split-second decision. Now, they don't always make the right decision, but more often than not, they do. The men and women in uniform across this country are human beings, and they make mistakes, as we all do; we need to understand that. When the mistakes are made, police officers expect to have scrutiny applied. They expect oversight, they expect to have the action they took reviewed, reviewed, and reviewed, and they respect the rule of law, the process of the review, the investigation, and the judicial process that needs to take place. As all Americans across this country, we need to recognize that process too. Reacting to bad situations by disregarding the rule of law only makes things worse in this Nation. It creates harm in our communities, rather than harmony. Everyone must come together. Communities and law enforcement should be partners, protecting our families. Communities and law enforcement should be partners. Just as I was a partner with my partners that I spoke about earlier, communities should be our partner, law enforcement's partner. What do good partners do? They trust each other. Communities must trust their police department. The police department and the sheriff's office must trust the community, work with one another, and depend on one another. I think, Mr. Speaker, if we do that, if we can stop for a moment, listen to the facts, and respect the law that exists here in the United States of America--the greatest country in the world--yeah, we are not perfect, but we have the best system. If we all come together and recognize we have the best system--and where it needs to be changed, let's change it--but as the process goes through, let's respect it. If we do that together, Mr. Speaker, we can continue to live in the greatest country in this world. I want to conclude my opening statements just by saying that I really think it is important for us across this Nation to pause and remember to thank our law enforcement officers. Every time we see a cop, let's say thank you. It is just one of ways that we can support them and show that support, but I think, even more importantly, let's pray for them and pray for their families, but let's also pray for the communities that they serve, that the communities see the tough job they have to do and the sacrifices they make. Pray for peace, understanding, cooperation, trust, and let's pray, Mr. Speaker, that we have a partner in each other, a partner that we can trust that will back us up. Law enforcement backing up the community and the community backing up the police officers, that is where I would like to see this go, Mr. Speaker. We have some other Members here tonight who want to share their comments about their community and their relationship with law enforcement. I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Byrne).

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind comments and for being here tonight to share his support of our law enforcement officers across this great Nation. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to Mr. Goodlatte.

Mr. REICHERT. I thank you, Mr. Goodlatte, for your comments and for your hard work as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and I thank you for coming tonight and sharing your comments. Next, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers). I am sure she wants to talk about her great sheriff in Spokane. Cathy, it is good to see you.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments and his staunch support of law enforcement and his support of 1033. We will work together on that, and I am sure other Members of Congress have an interest in working to make sure that that legislation gets passed. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to Mr. LaMalfa from California.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Cathy McMorris Rodgers for her comments and her support of law enforcement officers and sheriffs that she works with. Ten years ago--well, a little longer ago than that--I was the president of the Washington State Sheriffs Association, and so I had the opportunity to work with all of the sheriffs and police chiefs in Washington State. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).