Sen. Dan Sullivan has taken a stand to protect the nation’s public safety officers by reintroducing the Protect Our Heroes Act, legislation aimed at deterring assaults and murders of law enforcement officials. The bill also includes enhanced penalties for ambush attacks orchestrated to lure officers to specific locations. Additionally, Sen. Sullivan proudly cosponsored the National Police Week resolution, which was unanimously passed by the Senate on Tuesday.
While Sullivan was supporting police, Alaska Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola has been missing votes in Washington all week and skipped a critical vote on Thursday on a resolution expressing support for local law enforcement and condemning efforts to defund the police.
Earlier this year, Peltola voted for lower penalties for violent crime, a position too extreme for even Sen. Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden. Last month, Peltola again voted against police officers and for emboldening criminals.
Peltola skipped the vote today so she could attend a photo op with First Lady Jill Biden in Bethel, Peltola’s hometown.
Sen. Sullivan emphasized the growing threats faced by law enforcement personnel.
In 2022 alone, 331 officers were shot in the line of duty, resulting in the tragic loss of 62 lives. These numbers represent a 32 percent increase compared to the previous year, indicating a troubling trend that demands immediate attention.
Sen. Sullivan emphasized the importance of protecting those who work tirelessly to enforce the law and ensure public safety.
“The men and women of law enforcement find themselves in precarious—often dangerous—situations when enforcing our laws, holding criminals accountable, resolving disputes, and protecting the safety of our families,” Sullivan said. “In addition to these risks, our brave public servants should not also have to fear being assaulted or ambushed in the course of performing their duties.”
The Protect Our Heroes Act aims to address this pressing issue through:
- Creation of a federal crime for assaulting or killing public safety officers.
- Implementation of a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for attempted murder, and 30 years for the murder of an officer, with the possibility of capital punishment.
- Establishment of mandatory minimum sentences for assaulting public safety officers, with heightened penalties for causing serious bodily harm.
- Introduction of severe sentencing enhancements for luring an officer into an ambush attack.
These measures, if passed by the House and signed by the president, will provide a legal framework to curb attacks on law enforcement officials and ensure that those who perpetrate such crimes face the full weight of the law.
In this year alone, 135 officers have already been shot in the line of duty, representing a 52% increase compared to the same period in 2020. Fifteen officers have lost their lives to gunfire this year. Ambush attacks have resulted in 43 officers being shot in 38 separate incidents in 2023. The numbers do not account for instances where officers were shot at but not struck.
Sen. Sullivan’s previous attempt to pass the Protect Our Heroes Act faced opposition from Senate Democrats, resulting in its failure on Sept. 17, 2020. The reintroduction of the bill presents an opportunity for bipartisan support and a chance to address the pressing need to safeguard public safety officers.
At a time when there has been an exodus of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department in the nation’s capital, Sen. Sullivan earlier this year voted in favor of House Joint Resolution 42, which repeals the anti-police law enacted by the D.C. Council. This legislative move, which was opposed by Rep. Peltola and her fellow Democrats, comes at a crucial time when record crime rates are putting immense strain on the city’s law enforcement resources.
Suzanne says: “Sen. Sullivan emphasized the importance of protecting those who work tirelessly to enforce the law and ensure public safety.”
While I don’t mind the historic support for law enforcement, sadly, that isn’t the world we live in anymore.
I would like to know how much this sort of legislation protects federal law enforcement who knowingly meddled in elections for Hilly in 2016 and for the vegetable in 2020. From here, it would seem to be a well-meaning but utterly foolish piece of legislation proffered right at the same time hundreds to thousands of federal law enforcement officials ought to be on their way to Club Fed for a few decades.
Color me cynical. Cheers –
Always telling the other angle often missed.
I’d not like to see a law w/good intentions used
against americans. and we all do and say foolish things when we don’t read bible enough and not in a small group where its people bring different life experiences and understanding.
I think politicians that wish to defund police should have to do without them for security. The fact Peltola chose to “miss” tells us all she is against them.
She in no way represents this great state. She more represents stupid California the way she acts. Can’t wait til she is GONE.
Thanks goes again to Sarah Palin. This slimy ex-governor has given us everything we don’t want in a POS congresswoman.
Best part of Sarah’s campaign: a James Brown impersonator forces a small gathering of 50 people in a room that holds thousands to do a conga line with Dustin Darden.
Another one whose little feelings were hurt that the begich family didn’t get yet another chance at the feeding trough
So, once again Sullivan moves for tighter federal controls. That is not a good thing. I’m pretty sure that states are capable of dealing with these issues.
Palin would have voted for the police had the stupid idiots who voted for that other clown and just got inLine and voted in a real person, not a RINO , you get what you vote for idiots! Always funny at these do nothings who take shots at palin. Total jealousy is all it is!
People are looking for at least the illusion of competency. Palin doesn’t deliver.
Don’t we already have such laws? Answer is “Yes”. This redundant proposal will facilitate more prosecutions, but now at the federal level due to any LEO’s who claim they were accosted. Another win for charge-stacking and the industrial justice system, but with federal implications. If you don’t know what charge-stacking is, you’re fortunate. Good job Danny Boy. Now do something meaningful like debt reduction, spending cuts and impeaching the creep in the White House . You can start with congressional discretionary spending.
I tend to agree with you her, Freedomak. Overall, I find this lionizing of what are essentially armed extensions of the state to be troubling, including the Orwellian title of Sullivan’s proposed bill, “Protect our Heroes”. Who says that every police officer is automatically a “hero”? That is a gross cheapening of the very word.
The rural Alaskans should be paying attention as their representative hid on purpose so she didn’t have to vote against law-enforcement. She is showing her true colors Democrat, all the way liberal all the way to law enforcement spend all the money go broke.
Rather than continuing to add protections to government officials, why not reinforce protections on citizens? Police are not always there to protect and more often than not, violate our rights. I know there are laws that are on the books to protect those rights, but good luck finding a DA or Judge willing to prosecute the offenders. They normally throw the cases out and claim qualified immunity and the offenders walk free to redo the crime on their next encounter.
Defund the Bethel police! Let that sh*thole town go lawless and pot-fueled for about a year. Peltola will be on everyone’s crosshairs.
Notice how Mary’s Democrat supporters never show up to defend her when she is called out for this lack of participation on important issues. Apparently they “Democrats” think grandstanding next to Haaland and Joeys “DR JILL” in Bethel is much more important than any sort of legislation that helps protect law enforcement. Its very easy to schedule “trips” to be away during these important votes that would be so embarrassing to vote against when you run with her type of crowd with endless funding jetsetting around the globe. As a result of her “Noshow” on this important need for law enforcement officers suffering attacks she and Buzzy should be denied any security while traveling since it is such a unimportant matter to her. Im sure she would be safe in DC on her own! LOL
Given Pelotola’s lack of spine, acumen on that issue, no Village Public Safety Officer should ever be allowed to carry a firearm. Never.
Doing some homework, learning from history, instead of groveling amongst the party line swill is a step outside Peltola’s lane.
What about funding the FBI? Isn’t that part of law enforcement?
You mean Gestapo 2.0, Maureen?
No, that is not about law enforcement, it is an official State Security Force.
Until people wake up to the fact that these progressives are working this plan of nonsense Nationally inorder to create chaos, all this border insanity, homelessness, and defund the police movement , transgender lunacy, legalizing all drugs etc., is all part of their plan to basicly rot our society from with in, and it actually started when obama was president , remember his tenure we had this occupy movement where they would set up camps in big city’s to protesting every single case of when a black person was involved( right or wrong) he consistently stirred the pot of racism and equality lies , he is the biggest reason our country became so split, he was a community organizer and learned how to create chaos where there isn’t any at a very young age, that’s all the guy had on his resume prior to his short term in the senate, then he became president, are you kidding me, how’s that even possible, he was a fraud from day one but he lied and exaggerated so many things, now it’s all been indoctrinated into so many stupid people who bought his toxic Koolaide, when Trump threw a wrench in his 3 rd term bid with Hilary, hell he just partnered with Sorros, Bill Gates and all these other narsistist psychopaths and kept beating his drum through other channels in universities and schools. Don’t you all remember he visited southwestern Alaska in his 2nd term and traveled all over building his coalition while he was president throughout all these liberal cesspools nationally . There’s no doubt he crossed paths with penatola while he was in Alaska, so wake the hell up people, it’s like people can’t remember stuff from a week ago, let alone 10 years ago , these dangerous lunatics are in pockets all over the country, and their working their plan, and they hit town and teach their nutty beliefs through indoctrination and propaganda tactics, full fledged Marxist . Their all American haters, yet they themselves all get rich off America, these people are so mentally ill they can’t see their own hypocrisy. it’s Jamestown all over again, except it’s bigger scale Koolaide their serving up in America this time around!
You are !00% correct. I left Oregon six years ago after 66 years and came to Alaska to get away from the left’s socialist agenda. They’ve turned a once family orientated beautiful state into a horror show. The Rank Choice Voting was the nail in Alaska’s coffin, the left has taken over this state as well. So glad the end is near.
The FBI murdered Vicky Weaver at Ruby Ridge Idaho, and 80 people, including 13 children at Waco Texas. Is that what you call “law enforcement Maureen? I call it terrorism. The ATF murdered 13 year old Sammy Weaver before the FBI murdered His mother. Law enforcement my ass.
They have the enforcement bit down. The law part is what escapes them.
citizenKane, yes we do have serious issues at the top Feds etc , but that’s because it’s been weaponized by more then one Democrat administrations especially Biden’s and Obama, But local law enforcement is not generally the problem, they are basicly being forced not to do their jobs ,
But Im to the mind if we can’t call for police, or get any basic justice from our courts, then I’d would think their basicly worthless in my opinion. that’s exactly why their needs to be a National Strike or walk out by all Police Departments, walk off the job for a week , or even a month and let things work themselves out, the people who are able to protect themselves and their family will be fine, that’s all it would take to expose these freaks running our country, and yes it would not be good for a while, but seriously right now in many areas of our country the criminals have free reign anyways. Pretty amazing how a few cooks at the top can somehow handcuff our police, Unbeleivable what’s happening Nationally! But reality is these people in most law enforcement are good people just wanting to Do their jobs, but their afraid to challenge what’s happening, they have bills to pay and family’s ,they need the money!,
Lon Horiuchi was not top law enforcement, he was living his dream, just like most of these guys. I do not believe there are 1% of these brave folks who would not drag you out of house in the middle of the night with no legal warrant if ordered to do so. They will do whatever it takes to get that pension. Good people don’t do that, nazis do that. Have you heard of Mary Fulp? Who went jail for that? Who lost their job? No one that I’ve heard of as yet. All of my calls to state reps concerning that outrage have been met with silence. Nothing to see here, shut up, move along, would you like to be next? Law enforcement my ass. More like the Gestapo, NKVD or The FBI. (Federal Bureau of Intimidation)
The left has taken over Alaska. Rank Choice voting was a nail in her coffin. People voting against the Constitutional Convention sealed the fate of our PFD. There will never again be a decent split. Get used to 75/25. The legislators have stolen the PFD to pay special interest groups and the education system who indoctrinate your children and squander your tax dollars. People are leaving Alaska in droves because they can’t afford to live here and the answer for that…………implement a statewide income tax or sales tax. They’ll never increase taxes on big oil, they’re in bed with them. More people will leave Alaska, the politicians will continue raising taxes on the responsible hard-working people so, here we are, looking a lot like the lower 48 (especially Oregon, California and Washington) and what will keep happening to Alaska, people will continue to avoid the polls, leftists will continue to benefit from that avoidance and the merry-go-round destroying Alaska will continue.
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