Dear Senators Schumer, McConnell, Wicker, and Reed,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for three filed amendments to S. 4638, which authorizes FY25 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The FOP is proud to support S. Amdt. 2528, which has been offered by Senator John Cornyn III (R-TX). The amendment includes the text of several bills that the FOP supports and that have already passed the Senate. The amendment includes the “Project Safe Childhood Act,” the “Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act,” and legislation that the FOP helped to develop, the “American Law Enforcement Sustaining Aid and Vital Emergency Resources (SAVER) Act,” which would allow Federal funds to be used to purchase of trauma kits We urge this amendment be adopted.
The FOP also supports a pair of amendments offered by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Charles E. Grassley (R-IA)—S. Amdt. 2175, the “Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act”, which would add xylazine to the Controlled Substances Act,” and S. Amdt. 2177, the “Invest to Protect Act.” We also urge that these amendments be adopted.
The bills offered in these amendments would demonstrate tremendous support and a renewed commitment to helping our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. The adoption of these amendments will reauthorize programs vital to our officers fighting gun crimes in our neighborhoods, combatting the ongoing fentanyl crisis and confronting the new and deadly threat posed by xylazine. These amendments also contain provisions that address staffing shortages in our law enforcement agencies and help to ensure the physical and mental health of our members.
On behalf of the more than 373,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I ask you to support these amendments and work with us to make sure they are included in the final legislative package. If I can be of any help or provide additional information in support of these amendments, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President