National Update

15 May 2015 3:41 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

Washington Watch: Legislative Update
For the Week of 11 May 2015

I.          Legislative News and Activity
II.         This Week in Congress
III.       Update on Top Legislative Priorities
IV.     FOP NEWS: President Obama Joins FOP in Salute to Fallen Heroes
V.      FOP NEWS
: House Passes Blue Alert!!!
VI.     FOP NEWS: POLITICO Article: The Secret Weapon for America's Beleaguered Police
VII.    Follow the FOP National Legislative Office on Twitter

     
I.      LEGISLATIVE NEWS AND ACTIVITY
National President Canterbury presided over the 34th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service.  President Barack H. Obama II was the key note speaker (see Item IV. below).

Executive Director Jim Pasco met with Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. at a breakfast reception to discuss law enforcement issues.

National President Canterbury and Executive Director Pasco met with the new U.S. Attorney General, Loretta E. Lynch, to discuss current events and future cooperation.

National President Canterbury, Executive Director Pasco, Vincent Canales, President of the Maryland State Lodge, and Gene Ryan, President of Baltimore Lodge #3, met with Vanita Gupta, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and her staff to discuss impending investigation of the Baltimore Police Department.

Executive Director Pasco met with Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about current developments in law enforcement.


Senior Legislative Liaison Tim Richardson represented the FOP at a meeting hosted by the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to discuss potential legislation reforming Federal asset forfeiture laws.

Senior Legislative Liaison Richardson represented the FOP at a meeting with Senator Timothy E. Scott (R-SC) to dicuss the issue of Body Worn Cameras (BWC).


II.     THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS
Both chambers were in session this week.

Action in the House
The House considered and passed S. 665, the "Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act," by voice vote.  The measure now goes to the President for his signature (See Item V. below).

The House considered and passed several pro-law enforcement bills which the FOP supported:

  • H.R. 606, the "Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act," amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude compensation received by officers and their dependents from gross income;
  • H.R. 723, the "Fallen Heroes Flag Act," which provides a Capitol-flown flag to the immediate families of law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty; and
  • H.R. 2146, the "Defending Public Safety Employees Retirement Act," allowing officers to make penalty-free withdrawals from governmental plans before the age of 50.
These three bills will now be transmitted to the Senate for further action

The House also considered and passed H.R. 2048, the " Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring (USA FREEDOM) Act," on a 338-88 vote.  The bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for further action.


Action in the Senate
The Senate considered and confirmed Sally Quillian Yates to be the next Deputy Attorney General of the United States on a 84-12 vote.

The Senate continued debate on legislation entitled the "Trade Promotion Authority Act," which would revise current Federal procedures when considering and approving trade deals with other nations.

 
III.       UPDATE ON TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
For the complete list of cosponsors for all of our top legislative priorities, or to find out if your Representative and Senators are cosponsors of specific bills, check out http://thomas.loc.gov.

A.  Support H.R. 973, the "Social Security Fairness Act"
We added 2 new cosponsors to H.R. 973, bringing our current total to 100.

The Senate companion bill has not yet been reintroduced.

B.  Support the "Law Enforcement Officers' Equity Act"
This bill has not yet been introduced.

C.  Support Legislation to Grant Statutory Arrest Authority to Civilian DoD Law Enforcement
This bill has not yet been introduced.

IV.     FOP NEWS: President Obama Joins FOP in Salute to Fallen Heroes: 34th Annual Memorial Service Honors Officers Sacrifice
Today the Fraternal Order of Police and its Auxiliary will gather on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol to honor 131 law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty, including 117 of which were killed in 2014.  The National Peace Officers Memorial Service is the capstone event of National Police Week.

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, will host the event which will feature a keynote address by President Barack Obama and a musical tribute performed by ....

One week each year, our nation pauses to recognize the extraordinary dedication and service of our local, State, tribal, and Federal law enforcement officers, Canterbury said. National Peace Officers Memorial Day is the day that we honor the memory of those officers who lost their lives in the line of duty and grieve with the loved ones they have left behind.  The sacrifices of these heroes and their families help all of us to make and renew our commitment to protect and serve our communities and our nation.

During National Police Week, thousands of law enforcement officers in every region of the nation gather at memorial services to honor their fallen colleagues.  More than 20,000 officers, as well as the surviving family members and friends of slain officers, have traveled to the nation s capital to attend the 34 th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service, which is the nation s largest and most prominent memorial service held on behalf of fallen law enforcement officers.

In October 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day.  Since the signing of this proclamation, this date has been the official day of recognition for law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the performance of their duty.  This is the 34 th year that the Fraternal Order of Police and its Auxiliary have held the National Peace Officers Memorial Service. 


V.      FOP NEWS: HOUSE PASSES BLUE ALERT!!!
Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, applauded news that the House passed S. 665, the "Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act." three other measures of legislation important to law enforcement, under suspension of the rules.

"The National Blue Alert Act is a key piece of the FOP's Officer Safety Agenda," Canterbury said. "Immediately after it was favorably passed by the Senate we began working with House offices to get the bill to the floor and pass it. Today, we saw the success of that effort."

The legislation would provide for local, regional, and national dissemination of time sensitive information that would help apprehend a suspect accused of killing, kidnapping, seriously wounding, or who may pose an imminent and credible threat to a law enforcement officer.

"The FOP is grateful for the authors of the House companion bill, Representative David G. Reichert, a former sheriff, and Representative William J. Pascrell," said Canterbury. "The FOP is especially grateful for Senator Leahy, whose dogged efforts played a critical role in getting this bill through the Senate, ultimately leading to its passage in the House today."

The "Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act," now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign the bills into law.

Three additional measures were considered and passed by the House: H.R. 723, the "Fallen Heroes Flag Act," which provides a Capitol-flown flag to the immediate families of law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty; H.R. 606, the "Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act," amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude compensation received by officers and their dependents from gross income; and H.R. 2146, the "Defending Public Safety Employees Retirement Act," allowing officers to make penalty-free withdrawals from governmental plans before the age of 50. These three bills will now be transmitted to the Senate for further action.


VI.     FOP NEWS: POLITICO Article: The Secret Weapon for America's Beleaguered Police
Read this week's POLITICO article entitled The Secret Weapon for America's Beleaguered Police here: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/the-secret-weapon-for-police-117779.html


VII.    Follow the FOP National Legislative Office on Twitter!
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