President Joe Biden was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to deliver remarks at the 43rd National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, where he described his efforts to assist American law enforcement while also encouraging Congress to do more.
“Every time you put on that shield and walk out of the house, your family wonders if that call will come or if they’ll get that terrible call somewhere during the day or night,” the president said, alluding to a recent shooting in North Carolina that killed four police officers.
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The National Fraternal Order of Police organized the gathering to memorialize the 222 American police officers who died in the line of duty last year. Attorney General Merrick Garland was also there, as were Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Biden told the narrative of how he lost his first wife and little daughter, how his late son Beau returned from serving in Iraq and contracted the disease that eventually killed him, and how he dealt with his death.
“For all the families of our fallen officers, I know hearing the name of your husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter, brother or sister, brings it all back as you got that news just 10 minutes ago,” he said, referring to “that black hole in the middle of your chest you feel like you’re being sucked into.” “It’s like losing a piece of your soul.”
The 109-year-old National Fraternal Order of Police reports that gunshots killed 48 police officers in 2023. However, 58 police officers have perished this year alone, with 25 of those deaths occurring within the last month.
“I know the one thing that helped,” Biden remarked of his personal experiences with the loss of loved ones.
“Family. If you have family, hold them close. “Hold on to one another.”
“The day will come” when thoughts of lost loved ones “will bring a smile to lift you before it brings a tear to your eye,” Biden told the crowd, adding that he hopes it comes sooner for them, but that it takes time.
In October 1962, President John F. Kennedy designated May 15 as National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. Flags across the United States will fly at half-staff on Wednesday in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Prior to Wednesday’s event, the Fraternal Order of Police stated on X that the “solemn occasion reminds us of the courage, dedication, and selflessness of our law enforcement officers.”
“Being a police officer is not just what you do; it’s who you are,” Biden added, telling the audience that he “admired” their fortitude to be there and that their loved ones’ “sacrifices will never be forgotten.”
“And just like all the women and men in law enforcement I grew up with in Scranton and Claymont, you always run toward danger as others run away from it,” he remarked, referring to his Pennsylvania birthplace and Delaware home.
The president stated that police officers have it in “their DNA,” telling them that “most of you, even as children, did it long before you became officers.”
“You run toward the cries for help, knowing you could be of help,” he stated.
Biden collected notes from his February White House meeting with the police chiefs of Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Miami, Milwaukee, and Dekalb County, Georgia.
“Being a cop is one [expletive] of a lot more difficult than it has ever been,” the president stated Wednesday. He added, “We expect everything from you,” stating that cops now need to serve as “drug counselors, social workers for abandoned children, and guardians for communities flooded with weapons of fear.”
He praised his administration’s efforts to assist law enforcement with the American Rescue Plan Act, which he claims provided $350 billion to cities and states “to keep communities safe, retain and hire more police officers, pay overtime and bonuses, expand benefits for disabled first responders,” and put more police officers on the streets while cracking down on illegal gun sales.
Biden also emphasized his $37 billion Safer America Plan, which aims to enhance police hiring and reduce crime.
“It’s no accident that violent crime is at a 50-year low,” he stated.
The Biden administration “is laser-focused on providing you with the mental health and wellness resources you need and deserve,” he stated while discussing his efforts to increase police officer benefits for officers and their families.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Kevin Cramer, R-ND, introduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who die from cancer due to carcinogenic exposure while serving, and the likely Democratic nominee for 2024 urged Congress to pass it.
“I know so many who still carry the physical and visible wounds of your service,” he said.
At the end of his speech, Biden said, “We’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s still much more to do.” “We can never thank you enough for your courage, your service, and your sacrifice,” he added, “for people you don’t even know.”
The Tennessee-based Fraternal Order of Police, which has over 355,000 members and 2,100 chapters, endorsed Trump’s re-election campaign in September 2020 but has yet to endorse either of the likely candidates for this year’s race.
But later Wednesday morning, the National Fraternal Order of Police on social media shared a tweet by House Republicans that blamed Democrats for “this uptick in violence,” which they believe “is the direct result of the radical Democrats, soft-on-crime policies, and the defund the police movement.”
