Janary 28, 2022
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), who has been named the presumptive nominee for Governor of New York by both the New York Republican and Conservative Parties, issued the following statement after attending the funeral of NYPD Officer Jason Rivera at St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning:
“If you have a loved one who wears the uniform, hold them tight, thank them for their service and never take a moment with them for granted. We are heartbroken, angry, and frustrated, and NYPD Officer Jason Rivera’s widow laid out exactly why. She said, ‘The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore – not even the members of the service. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope he’s watching you speak through me right now.’
“While I was sitting in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the grief-stricken words of his family filled me with so much emotion, motivation, sorrow, pride, and prayer. Walking outside, the sea of blue as far as the eye can see is a testament of the unity, strength and resiliency of our amazing law enforcement community. They stand shoulder to shoulder to lift each other up, to lift up the community, and to lift up the family of posthumously promoted Detective Jason Rivera.
“As Jason’s widow concluded, ‘We’ll take the watch from here.'”
