{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-curtis-honors-fallen-tremonton-officers-on-the-senate-floor", "SENATOR CURTIS HONORS FALLEN TREMONTON OFFICERS ON THE SENATE FLOOR", "2025-09-15", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "In his speech, Senator Curtis paid tribute to the officers\u2019 courage and sacrifice, reflecting on the deep impact their loss has had on their families, their department, and the community.\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Last week, Senator John Curtis (R-UT) visited Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath in honor of Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada, two Tremonton-Garland police officers who were killed in the line of duty last month. He later paid tribute to the officers in a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.\n\n\u201cSergeant Sorensen and Officer Estrada carried the pioneer spirit that defines Utah,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cThey chose duty over comfort. They walked into danger so others could walk in peace. Their service, their laughter, their sacrifice lives on in us. May we honor them not only with our words, but with action worthy of their examples.\u201d\n\nCurtis noted that the Tremonton-Garland Police Department, made up of just 17 people, has had to carry on despite the tragedy. Thousands of Utahns lined the streets in the rain for the officers\u2019 funerals, tying blue ribbons on homes and storefronts to show their support.\n\nEarlier in the day, Senator Curtis laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honor of Sergeant Sorensen and Officer Estrada. Footage of that ceremony can be found below:\n\nThe full speech as prepared for delivery is below, and the video file can be downloaded here.\n\nMr. President, colleagues,\n\nTremonton, Utah, is a quiet town in the Bear River Valley, best known for the Box Elder County Fair, now celebrating its 100th year. It\u2019s the kind of place where folks wave as they pass on the road, where neighbors look after each other, and where life feels far from the noise and chaos of other parts of the country.\n\nBut on Sunday, August 17, that peace was shattered. Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada\u2014two devoted public servants\u2014responded to a domestic disturbance call. In the line of duty, both were shot and killed while protecting their community. Their loss has left a hole not just in their families, but in Tremonton, and across Utah.\n\nEarlier today, I laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in their honor. It was a humbling reminder that sacrifice\u2014whether on foreign battlefields or the quiet streets of our towns\u2014is what preserves our freedom.\n\nWe all know policing is never easy. Officers step into the unknown, often with seconds, or less, to decide between life and death. Domestic calls are among the most dangerous. That night in Tremonton, Lee and Eric faced lethal fire. Yet their courage saved lives. A deputy and his K-9 were injured but survived. Others made it home because Lee and Eric did not.\n\nSgt. Sorensen, a 16-year veteran, was known as steady and kind. He checked on grieving neighbors, looked out for late-night grocery store employees, and every year rode his bike in the county fair parade, tossing candy with a smile.\n\nOfficer Estrada, just 31, was a husband and father, known for his humor and compassion, and for putting people at ease. Together, these men embodied the best of Utah law enforcement\u2014service rooted in responsibility, not authority.\n\nTo give you perspective, the Tremonton-Garland Police Department has just 17 people\u2014officers and staff together. They didn\u2019t get to stop and grieve. They had to carry on, leaning on each other and on a community that has shown incredible kindness.\n\nAt their funerals, thousands lined the streets in the rain. Blue ribbons appeared on homes and storefronts. At the fair, more than $260,000 was raised for their families. That is Utah at its best. Neighbors locking arms and lifting one another.\n\nMr. President, Utah has always honored sacrifice. My pioneer ancestors climbed Ensign Peak in 1847. They looked out over a barren desert and imagined what could be\u2014a thriving home built on faith, family, and community. They didn\u2019t have much, but they had courage. They knew the future would demand hardship\u2014and unity.\n\nSgt. Sorensen and Officer Estrada carried that same pioneer spirit. They stood watch so others could rest. They chose duty over comfort. They walked into danger so others could walk in peace.\n\nAs President Kennedy said, \u201cAsk not what your country can do for you\u2014ask what you can do for your country.\u201d Lee and Eric lived that creed. And as President Reagan reminded us, \u201cFreedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.\u201d On the quiet streets of Tremonton, they stood guard against that extinction.\n\nDeputy Allred, who was shot and survived, said while recovering: \u201cIf I could ask one thing to come from this senseless tragedy, don\u2019t forget how much love and support is being handed out right now. Communities are coming together. Kindness and love are being shared. Keep this moving forward and don\u2019t stop ever.\u201d\n\nThat\u2019s the charge before us. My mission is to ensure Lee and Eric are remembered not as headlines, but as symbols of Utah values and American courage. And my commitment is to work for solutions that better support law enforcement, strengthen protections for families, and bring peace of mind to hardworking citizens.\n\nSo let us pledge today: Sgt. Sorensen and Officer Estrada will not be forgotten. Their service, their laughter, their sacrifice lives on in us. May we honor them not only with our words, but with action worthy of their example.\n\nThank you, Mr. President. I yield back.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-curtis-honors-fallen-tremonton-officers-on-the-senate-floor"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0185511782765388, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}