Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) joined President Donald Trump on Monday to award the new Presidential Medal of Sacrifice, recently created to honor first responders who have fallen in the line of duty.
The first three recipients of this new medal were the families of Deputy Ralph "Butch" Waller, Corporal Luis Paez, and Deputy Ignacio "Dan" Diaz, three Palm Beach County law enforcement officers killed in a November car crash.
Rep. Mast briefly spoke during the ceremony, saying he wanted to begin by thanking the law enforcement officers present.
"The job is always dangerous, yet you do it still every single day, and I will thank the families because the job, as you are a reminder of, is often deadly," Rep. Mast continued, adding, "And I will thank you, Mr. President, because for the first time in our nation's history, you are willing to say to all of our first responders, all of our law enforcement, all of our firefighters, 'We are going to recognize that sacrifice from the office of the Presidency, for each and every one of them.' And that has never taken place before ever in this nation."
The Florida Congressman was one of the co-creators of the Presidential Medal of Sacrifice, joined in the effort by State Representative Meg Weinberger (R-94), which he said was the result of President Trump noting that no equivalent to the Congressional Medal of Honor, which is the highest honor awarded in the United States Armed Forces, existed for first responders killed in the line of duty.
"We've never had a president that loves our law enforcement and first responders more. Or respects them more," Mast said in statement to The Floridian. "And for the first time and forever more, that would be a medal presented from the president directly to the families of those who are killed in the line of duty."
As a result, Mast has introduced legislation codifying the creation and awarding of the Presidential Medal of Sacrifice into law.
