Senate Passes Hero Bill As Pro-Police Agenda Gains Momentum

The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Nevada Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Senate Republican Mitch McConnell to ensure the families of retired law enforcement officers killed in retaliation for their service are no longer denied federal benefits.

The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act was passed by unanimous consent and now heads to the House of Representatives for a vote.

The bill is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a Korean War veteran and law enforcement officer of 55 years who retired in 2009 as police chief in Tompkinsville, Kentucky. On August 28, 2012, Chief Proffitt was gunned down in his driveway by a man he had arrested 10 years earlier. His murder was determined to be direct retaliation for his police service—yet his family was denied benefits under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program because he had already retired.