With the second session of Congress under way, I thought this was the perfect time to write about the number one reason I came to Congress - my commitment to end gun violence on Long Island and across the country. Just days ago I stood beside Matthew Gross, the young man, who along with members of his band, was shot a year ago on top of the Empire State Building. Matthew was shot by a man who was visiting our country, a tourist who was able to buy a gun here. That's frightening. Matthew is another life forever altered by gun violence. I'm working hard to keep guns out of the hands of people who want to kill. And at the same time, I'm working hard to protect those that face these killers - our police officers.

Our law enforcement officers need our protection just like we need theirs. That's why I am an original co-sponsor of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act. Many of us have family members who are law enforcement officers, and it's frightening to think they are on the streets every day without the protection they need and deserve. The Justice Department recently stated that 150,000 out of 600,000 law enforcement officials currently do not have bulletproof vests. The FBI recently stated that the likelihood of an officer not wearing a safety vest dying from a gunshot wound is 14 times greater than if they had been wearing a vest. Those are staggering statistics.

The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1997 is critical in saving the lives of those who protect ours. With this bill, state and local agencies would have access to up to $25 million a year to ensure that every police officer who needs a bulletproof vest gets one. For every vest purchased by state and local agencies, the federal government will match the purchase dollar for dollar.

Lives are saved with bulletproof vests. Not one police officer who was wearing a bulletproof vest between 1985 and 1994 was killed by gunshot. Not one. Clearly, this piece of legislation is critical in saving lives. And if law enforcement agencies can't afford the matching funds, then the grant program waives the matching requirement. Many officers who don't have bulletproof vests don't have them because there is not enough money in the budget. By allowing this matching requirement to be waived in certain circumstances, communities all over the country will be able to provide law enforcement officers with bulletproof vests, regardless of their financial status.

I'm pleased that Congress is moving toward protecting our law enforcement officers. They put their lives on the line for us, and we should do everything we can to pay them back for their dedication. I look forward to working with my colleagues and Long Island to do just that.