Rutherford Statement on House Passage of Invest to Protect Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) released the following statement in support of the passage of H.R. 6448, the Invest to Protect Act of 2022, by a vote of 360-64:

"Attacks against law enforcement over the last two and a half years have left officers demoralized, causing them to leave the profession in droves. I am pleased that the House passed the Invest to Protect Act which will provide small police departments with the resources they need to hire and retain the best officers, provide necessary training, and improve officer well-being. It has been an honor to work with Representative Gottheimer on this bipartisan bill that will make an impact on smaller communities."

The bipartisan, bicameral Invest to Protect Act was introduced by Representatives Gottheimer (NJ-05) and Rutherford to make targeted investments in small police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers to support critical recruitment, retention, and training. These law enforcement departments make up more than 96% of local U.S. police departments. The Invest to Protect Act simplifies the grant process and gives departments the flexibility to make meaningful investments in their officers and communities, through:

• Creating grants for small departments to recruit and retain new officers with signing and retention bonuses;
• Funding officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training and;
• Investing in mental health resources for their officers.

The Invest to Protect Act has been endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO).

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