beast colonists. watch book tv every sunday on c-span2 and find the full schedule on your program guide or watch online anytime apple tv.org. click c-span is your unfiltered view provided by television companies and more, inclu >> the greatest town on earth is a place you call home. 's why sparklight is working round the clock to keep you connected. we easier to do yours. >> president biden offered his condolences to police officers during remarks at the national peace officers memorial service at the u.s. capitol. the president also reaffirmed his commitments for officers.

president biden: auxiliary president you for nation and for inviting me to join you once again today. thank the attorney general and deputy attorney general monaco as well as the deputy of the homeland security mayorkas. the director of the fbi and secret servi u.s. market service in capitol police. are also joined by my good friend, president and president of the firefighters union. thank youtwo weeks ago charlotte, north carolina, i spent some time with the of the eight police officers who were shot in th of duty. tragically, four of them were , they were husbands fathers, heroes. all of behind, you every time you put o your family wonders if that call will come or if they

will get that terrible call somewhere during the day or night. we'll youyearmen all across law enforcement sacrifice. all fa know hearing the name of your husband, father, brother sister, back and you got the news just 10 minutes ago. black hole in the middle of your chest, you feel like you areit's like losing part of your soul. i know. when my son both spent a year in came home with stage four glioblastoma he and he did. i know what it's like. i got a feeling that you all lost in the path. you know, i found out only one thing when i got the call that my wife and daughter were call my son was about to die the only one thing that helped, family.

tight . hold on each other because the day will come, it's hard to of your husband, wife, son or g a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. a long time, but it will come. i wish there's a line from john milton who said they we stand and wait. and waits while itserves the rest of us. i admire your coura i hope you take comfort and er be forgotten. an and men, some who are here will always be there for you other police officers will always be there for you.throughout my career i have and too many police officers extraordinary public s kept us safe. being a police officer is just what you do, it's who you are. all the women and men i grew up in scranton and claymont, he as

others run away from it. when you were a kid, you didlong before you became an officer. yohelp. it' dna serve to protect, tyou represent the very best of erica. back in february, i convened a group of police chiefs at the white talk about the hard work you are doing to make communities safer. being a cop is harder than it has ever been. is one hell of a lot harder than it's ever been. we expect everythieryone -- drug counselors, you're supposed to be, protecting people who are overdosing, social workers to kids who have been abandonedf fear. that's why, since day one of my presidency, i've been working to make sure you have the tools you help. during the pandemic, i signed the american rescue plan that provided $350 billion to states and ci to keep communities safe, retain and hire more police officers, pay overtime and bonuses, expand

benefits f responders, and support violent prevention strategies. places like detroit, toledo, kansas city, houston put more cops on the beat.ral investments ever made in public safety. years to keep guns out of the ndividuals while strengthening background checks for gun purchases cracking down on illegal gunles, reining in ghost guns that are increasingly found at crime scenes.invests $37 billion in public safety to hire many more police officers trained in community policing, of jim and the other law enforcement officers that we work order on policing.lan also makes investments to support programs that are proven to tackle the you have the psychologists and the social workers responding to crises alongside you. we also know that police officers every time you respond to a call, execute a warrant, ora traffic

stop, there's a tremendous risk. fear of ambush, anxiety of not knowing what's behind that door,s imaginable. that's why our administration laser-focused on providing you with the mental health and wellness resources you need and that's why i also signed s for families of officers who tragically died by suicide -- honoring capitol police officers like howard liebengood, who defended thecapitol on january 6, whose dad i knew well when he served as sergeant at arms in the united states we remember all ou capitol and our democracy on that terrible day. and congress should also pass the honoring fallen heroes act responders who are exposed to of cancer. the physical and invisible wounds of your service. we can never thank you enoughur courage, your service and your sacrifice. you risk your lives every day for the safety of the people y that's why each of you, each and it's no accident that violent crime is near a record 50-year

low -- a 50-ye it's because of extraordinary efforts by all of you in your communities, together with historic steps taken to support you -- to stop the flow ofgun traffickers accountable for crimes. it matters, and it matters a lot.ten say, there is no greater responsibility of governmento sacrifice to protect us all. we've made a lot of progress be done. let me close. to the families here today, my wife and i know how hard it is in different ways, but i promise you the day will come again whenll bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to yourl come. and i hope you always remember one r them and their love for you. god bless you all. may god protect law enforcement. and [applause]