[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H359-H365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INSURRECTION IN THE CAPITOL
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Williams of Georgia). Under the
Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from New
York (Ms. Ocasio-Cortez) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee
of the majority leader.
General Leave
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
[[Page H360]]
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, 29 days ago, on January 6, 2021,
insurrectionists attacked our Capitol seeking to overturn the results
of our Nation's election.
Twenty-nine days ago, the glass in and around this very Chamber was
shattered by gunshots, clubs, and by individuals seeking to restrain
and murder Members of Congress duly elected to carry out the duties of
their office.
Twenty-nine days ago, Officer Sicknick, who just laid in honor
yesterday in our Nation's Capitol, was murdered on the steps just
outside this hallowed floor. Two Capitol Police officers have lost
their lives since, in addition to the four other people who died during
the events of January 6.
Twenty-nine days ago, food service workers, staffers, and children
ran or hid for their lives from violence deliberately incited by the
former President of the United States.
Sadly, less than 29 days later, with little to no accountability for
the bloodshed and trauma of the 6th, some are already demanding that we
move on, or, worse, are attempting to minimize, discredit or belittle
the accounts of survivors. In doing so, they not only further harm
those who were there that day and provide cover for those responsible,
but they also send a tremendously damaging message to survivors of
trauma all across this country that the way to deal with trauma,
violence, and targeting is to paper it over, minimize it, and move on.
Sadly, this is all too often what we hear from survivors of trauma as
the reason why they don't get care; that what they experienced wasn't
bad enough or too bad to talk about; or that they are afraid of being
invalidated, accused of exaggeration or making a mountain out of a mole
hill. As a result, thousands, if not millions, deny themselves the care
that they need and deserve to live better lives.
Twenty-nine days ago, our Nation's Capitol was attacked. That is the
big story, and in that big story resides thousands of individual
accounts just as valid and important as the other.
Tonight, for this Special Order, we will begin to hear and commit to
the Congressional Record just some of those many stories. I thank my
colleagues who have bravely come forward today to share their accounts.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).
Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, it was an extraordinary day that started
out quite beautiful for me. I live across the street, right next to the
Supreme Court; and every day, almost without fail, there are
demonstrators out on the Supreme Court who are peaceful. Some of them I
agree with and some of them I disagree with, but it is a beautiful
sight to see people exercising their First Amendment right.
That was a beautiful day, January 6, and I had time. We weren't
scheduled to be here in the House until about 1 p.m. So I did something
that is a privilege and just a joy for those of us who serve here in
the Capitol. I took a walk from the Supreme Court to the Capitol, down
to the Washington Monument, to the Lincoln Memorial, and back.
Of course, the Trump protesters at that point were there, as it was
their right to be. But on the way back, I became somewhat alarmed
because when I got to the White House, it was really much more like a
mob with many folks with bullhorns talking about hanging Mike Pence and
using horrible epithets I can't mention here directed towards Nancy
Pelosi.
As they came back toward 4th Street, I came in sight of--and was
standing by--two groups of people who were about 70 strong and were
practicing marching in military formation, and as they marched, they
were chanting, again, a word I can't use here, F those people, talking
about the people in this building.
As Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said, people in this building were workers. They
were Capitol Police who were in this building because they had to do an
hour-and-a-half commute to do this job to protect this building that
belongs to the people of this country so they could then pay the bills
for their family and make that hour-and-a-half commute back. It was the
cafeteria workers. It was everyday, hardworking, wonderful Americans.
Now, at that point I still didn't think anything about it because it
never occurred to me, with all the anger and hostility I saw with those
groups of people who were marching in a formation, that when I was
later sitting up in that gallery with many of my colleagues as the
proceedings were taking place, that this building would be invaded. I
took it for granted that that just couldn't happen.
Of course, it did. The first sign we had of something amiss is when
we saw the security people for our leadership--the Speaker, the
minority leader, and our majority leader--rush them off the floor. We
on the floor and in the gallery still had no idea what was going on.
Now, in retrospect, we find out the west side of the building was
being breached, and one of the police officers said it was like a
castle storming.
Mr. McGovern took the chair and began to continue the process of
certification of the election until one of the Capitol Police officers
told us that teargas had been fired, that people had breached the
building, get out the gas mask, and lie on the floor.
Then I saw Capitol Police officers with guns from their holsters. I
looked at these men and women and I tried at that moment to imagine
what was it like for them that they actually had to have a weapon out.
They had families, they had responsibility, and whatever fear they may
have felt, their duty was to protect us, and they were going to do it
no matter what.
How small I felt at that moment that because of someone who was doing
their duty to protect me--I am no more worthy than any other person who
works in this building--but that is their job. They were threatened.
Then, of course, we heard the shot when the mob was getting in to the
door of the Speaker's Lobby. Then to get us out, they had to bring us
all the way across this Chamber to the far door. We got stopped right
over here where these two doors were being breached, and we heard the
sound and saw the poles that were being pushed through.
You know the rest. We are going to hear more stories.
But I want to say that, in listening to my colleagues and
experiencing it myself, where I had some fear, but then we were okay,
there are two things that just stay with me. The first thing is that
the tradition we have had in this country that is so commonplace, we do
it every 4 years, the peaceful transfer of power, and how extraordinary
it is that we do that every 4 years, was shattered. The second thing is
that we saw something that allowed Jim Crow to thrive for over 100
years after the Civil War, and that was the use of violence as a
political tactic.
{time} 1915
We now have a Capitol ringed by these 7-foot fences with concertina
wire. So the trauma that we are feeling, working in the sense of
isolation, is the trauma to our democracy. Our goal, our responsibility
is to restore that and not be defeated.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Espaillat).
Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague,
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for organizing this Special
Order Hour this evening.
The events of January 6 are still burning in the memories of all of
us, as well as millions and millions of Americans across the Nation;
although some people would like to deny that it never happened, or
sweep it under the rug, it continues to burn in everybody. The images
are so aggressive that they still burn in the memories of millions upon
millions of Americans.
I started that day as I start every day. I came to my office at 8:30
in the morning. I couldn't get through Independence Avenue because it
was shut down, so I came through the back of my office building, and I
noticed that I was walking on the sidewalk with some of the protesters,
unimpeded. I felt as though security was very lax. No one stopped them.
They were walking right next to me. They were around here as early as
8:30 in the morning.
[[Page H361]]
I went to my office, and as I proceeded at one point to leave my
office to come down to the floor, I was informed that the Capitol had
been breached. So we stayed in our office.
Two police officers came to the office trying to escort us out and
trying to take me to a site, a room in another office building where
other Members were, to protect us. I decided to stay in my office with
my team, and we locked ourselves in there.
I could see from my window some of the protesters. You see, this
assault against the Capitol was not just concentrated on the Capitol
steps. It was everywhere, really.
And of course, at about 8:00 at night, a little bit before that, I
came here to conclude the proceedings. I felt it was very important
that we completed our work for the night and not be intimidated by that
mob. Democracy could never be intimidated.
And so I came here very early. I walked around as agents went around
the Capitol and this floor securing evidence. And the scene was pretty
horrifying; furniture stuck up against the walls and bloodstains right
outside, where someone was shot, was being mopped.
So this is a traumatic experience for all of us on both sides of the
aisle and for our Nation. It cannot be swept under the rug. We must get
to the bottom of this. We must find out if there were Members of this
body who aided and abetted that angry mob, who instructed them of the
whereabouts of Speaker Pelosi.
You see, that mob came here saying they wanted to assassinate her and
they wanted to hang the Vice President. So if anybody in this body
assisted someone that clearly had an intent to attempt to murder
someone, they are an accessory to that crime, and we must look at that
evidence.
Ultimately, we need to have the truth; and if we want unity in this
body, we need the truth. If we want unity in America, we need the
truth. That is what will unite us. We must have a deep dive, a deep
investigation into what occurred.
Did any of our colleagues text, email, or tweet the whereabouts of
Speaker Pelosi? Did anybody tweet or share information about the
labyrinth of tunnels and hallways in this Capitol building? They seemed
to know their way around.
So the truth is important for the unity of our Nation. This is a
beautiful building and a temple of democracy, but Congress is not this
building. It is each and every one of us and, by extension, the people
that we represent. So an attack against us was an attack against our
constituents. We are their voices here, and we must take a good look at
what occurred.
We must not sweep this under the rug. We must continue to ascertain
and get all the facts and evidence to determine who played a pivotal
role in perpetrating that crime. Only then will we have unity. Only
then, through truth, will we have peace.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from New
York, first of all, for her courage and for convening us together. And
I might say to the gentlewoman that we are not doing this for
ourselves. We have taken an oath of office.
I have said this many times today as we debated a question of the
status of a Member. We took an oath to defend this Nation against all
enemies, foreign and domestic. And we realize that that oath is really
above our own personal safety; that if we were called upon by this
Nation to defend her, to defend our constituents, I would venture to
say that most Members would stand by their constituents and this
Nation.
This should not be taken as Members fleeing out of fear. But it
should be taken as an explanation and an expose' of what happened in
this place; how it was desecrated, undermined, diminished; how the
American people watched this precious place.
For those of us who have been here, I fled this place on 9/11. We
were in a meeting, and all you could hear is a lot of noise. Members
continuing to meet, not wanting to be disturbed, did not move until an
officer or screaming came, and we heard the noise saying, we don't know
what's going on, but get out.
In that instant, we fled, and all we could hear was, run as fast as
you can and hit the ground way on the other side near First Street and
the Supreme Court. I could see the billowing smoke and the plane that
had hit the Pentagon. And so, that fleeing, of course, was because we
were told to do so.
But Members began to look for their staff and wanted to know what
they could do. It was different from having a pandemic. It was
different from the setting here, except for the fact that Members cared
about what was going on with their constituency and their staff.
Here, we were in the same way. Members were protecting their staff in
their offices. So I want this not to be about us, but the story needs
to be told.
As you have already heard, there were those of us participating in
this debate, some on the floor, some in the gallery.
And I will tell you that the first thing I saw, Madam Speaker,
because we did not know of the huge crowds down near the White House.
We didn't know that there were people dancing to music inside the White
House, watching activities of attack here. But we did know about the
major speech that was provoking a crowd of insurrectionists that had
planned to come here and kill people.
But the first thing I saw was good friends here rising up out of
seats and moving out quickly. And only after they began to move did we
hear the words, Hurry up. Get out. Flee. Not necessarily flee, but the
first words I heard was our good leadership calling for the doors to be
closed. Thank them for that, our Sergeant at Arms, who are here in this
place.
As we fled, we could hear the attack coming from the Senate side, and
then we could hear the shooting that occurred right outside in the
cloakroom area. And we crouched there, and some of my good colleagues
and I began to pray.
I started out by saying this is not about us, but it is about truth.
And as I mourned and honored Officer Sicknick, as he was honored by
being in a state of honor in this House, I was reminded of the many
officers, Capitol Hill and Metro Police, that are in hospitals; that
are still hurting; and that are still suffering. And I said earlier
this evening that I offered to them my deepest concern and sympathy and
respect, and I will be introducing a resolution to honor them.
But I think the importance of this reliving what we went through is,
as I have heard from my colleagues, we must get to the bottom of this.
We cannot let white supremacy, which is now the number one terrorist
activity or terrorist group in America, more so than foreign
terrorists, dominate the goodness of what this democracy and this
Constitution stands for.
We can't let the idea of free speech be the source of the fueling of
hatred and anger that turns to violence. We can't let individuals storm
this building and call for the killing of the Vice President, or the
killing of the Speaker of the House, or the putting on of plastic cuffs
on Members of Congress.
We can't frighten Members of Congress in their offices. We cannot
allow this kind of attack on voices like the gentlewoman from New York
who simply wants to tell truth. She has freedom.
So I am here on the floor to say that we shall not be denied. We are
never going to give up our love for democracy nor its vitality; nor are
we going to let this country be dominated by the insurrectionists who
came to this place to do nothing but act in a bloodthirsty manner. We
are not afraid of you.
And yes, on behalf of all of those officers that the video showed us
that were beaten by American flags, beaten with signs of Nazism, we are
going to get to the bottom of this for you. We are going to find out
what happened.
We are going to find out why the information came from the FBI to the
City of Washington, D.C., and their police, and it was evident that it
was given to the brass here, but that there was no response in terms of
the kind of equipment or the numbers of officers that were there, or
why wasn't permission given to the mayor of the City of Washington to
call up the National Guard.
{time} 1930
Why did this President deny access to the National Guard to protect,
not us, but this place of democracy?
[[Page H362]]
I am grateful for this opportunity. We have work to do. But I think
the greatest statement that we can make tonight, that we are in the
light of day on this floor, as I said before, not for us, but to be
able to stand in the shoes of all those heroes who fought in different
ways, whether it was in the peace movement, whether it was in the civil
rights movement, Black power movement, whether it was Cesar Chavez
fighting for farmworkers--people who fought to make a difference for
goodness.
For all of those patriots, all of those fallen leaders, some
assassinated like Dr. Martin Luther King, we cannot stand and allow the
voices of those who provided horror to this place to suggest to the
world that they have overcome us.
I close by simply saying to the world that we had a day, January 6,
an attack on this place, insurrectionists and domestic terrorists
penetrated the United States Capitol, but they never penetrated the
strength of the Constitution and our values and our commitment to
protect democracy, but also to give respect and comfort to those who
lost their lives on that day or thereafter, in terms of our law
enforcement officers, and sadness for those unfortunately who lost
their life by being misguided, but also to be able to say that this is
a place that we will hold sacred.
We will be victorious. White supremacy, insurrectionists, and also
domestic terrorism will not prevail over us. We will win, and we will
win for the many Americans who believe in the goodness of this country.
I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me, and I thank her so very
much for her courage.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Phillips).
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from
New York, for organizing tonight and for inspiring rising generations
of Americans, including my own daughters, to dream bigger and to do
better.
I want to start my remarks by addressing those who have belittled,
dismissed, minimized, or criticized anyone who has experienced trauma
of any type, at any time, in any form. To you, I say I take pity on
you, and I say shame on you.
I was in this very room on January 6 when the insurrection began. I
was 1 of 20 colleagues up in the gallery, just over my shoulder, who
had to take cover behind our seats, on the floor, and struggle to
activate our gas masks, the whizzing sounds, the collective whizzing
sounds in this room, which none of us will ever forget.
We know the sound of the breaking glass, of the screams, and of the
furniture being moved in front of the doors. We know the feeling of
being trapped in this room and believing that being taken hostage may
be the best-case scenario.
We know what it feels like, searching for something, anything, with
which to defend ourselves, and realizing a pencil is about all we had.
We know what it feels like thinking that it is a real possibility that
we would not see our families and loved ones again.
We won't forget. We won't forget.
But I am not here this evening to seek sympathy or just to tell my
story--rather, to make a public apology.
Recognizing that we were sitting ducks in this room, as the Chamber
was about to be breached, I screamed to my colleagues to follow me
across the aisle to the Republican side of the Chamber so that we could
blend in--so that we could blend in--for I felt that the
insurrectionists who were trying to break down the doors right here
would spare us if they simply mistook us for Republicans. But within
moments, I recognized that blending in was not an option available to
my colleagues of color.
So, I am here tonight to say to my brothers and sisters in Congress,
and all around our country: I am sorry. I am sorry, for I had never
understood, really understood, what privilege really means.
It took a violent mob of insurrectionists and a lightning bolt moment
in this very room, but now I know. Believe me, I really know.
I want to close with an invitation, a hopeful invitation at that, to
everybody watching or listening. Whether you experienced January 6
right here in this room; whether you were barricaded in an office
across the street; or whether, like most Americans, you experienced it
through a television screen, please do not allow that day to change you
for the worse. Rather, please find something in it to improve yourself,
to improve our country, and to improve our world.
I surely did, and I hope you will join me.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).
Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for
arranging this really important Special Order hour.
Every day, we are so grateful for the hard work and support of our
congressional staff. Many of them are young enough to be my children,
but they serve Congress and our country with brilliance and honor every
single day.
This evening, I want to read a letter signed by nearly 400
congressional staffers to their Senators because they don't often have
a voice on this floor, but their words are so raw and so heart-
wrenching.
Here is their letter, titled ``An Open Letter to Members of the U.S.
Senate.''
``We are staff who work for Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S.
House of Representatives, where it is our honor and privilege to serve
our country and our fellow Americans. We write this letter to share our
own views and experiences, not the views of our employers. But on
January 6, 2021, our workplace was attacked by a violent mob trying to
stop the electoral college vote count. That mob was incited by former
President Donald J. Trump and his political allies, some of whom we
pass every day in the hallways at work.
``Many of us attended school in the post-Columbine era and were
trained to respond to active shooter situations in our classrooms. As
the mob smashed through Capitol Police barricades, broke doors and
windows, and charged into the Capitol with body armor and weapons, many
of us hid behind chairs and under desks or barricaded ourselves in
offices. Others watched on TV and frantically tried to reach our bosses
and colleagues as they fled for their lives.
``On January 6, the former President broke America's 230-year legacy
of the peaceful transition of power when he incited a mob to disrupt
the counting of electoral college votes. Six people died. A Capitol
Police officer--one of our coworkers who guards and greets us every
day--was beaten to death. The attack on our workplace was inspired by
lies told by the former President and others about the results of the
election in a baseless, monthslong effort to reject votes lawfully cast
by the American people.
``Our Constitution only works when we believe in it and defend it. It
is a shared commitment to equal justice, the rule of law, and the
peaceful resolution of our differences. Any person who doesn't share
these beliefs has no place representing the American people, now or in
the future. The use of violence and lies to overturn an election is not
worthy of debate. Either you stand with the Republic or against it.
``As congressional employees, we don't have a vote on whether to
convict Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the violent attack at
the Capitol, but our Senators do. And for our sake, and the sake of the
country, we ask that they vote to convict the former President and bar
him from ever holding office again.''
It is signed by nearly 400 congressional staff.
Madam Speaker, I include in the Congressional Record their letter and
their signatures.
An Open Letter to Members of the U.S. Senate: We are staff
who work for members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of
Representatives, where it is our honor and privilege to serve
our country and our fellow Americans. We write this letter to
share our own views and experiences, not the views of our
employers. But on January 6, 2021, our workplace was attacked
by a violent mob trying to stop the electoral college vote
count. That mob was incited by former president Donald J.
Trump and his political allies, some of whom we pass every
day in the hallways at work.
Many of us attended school in the post-Columbine era and
were trained to respond to active shooter situations in our
classrooms. As the mob smashed through Capitol Police
barricades, broke doors and windows, and
[[Page H363]]
charged into the Capitol with body armor and weapons, many of
us hid behind chairs and under desks or barricaded ourselves
in offices. Others watched on TV and frantically tried to
reach bosses and colleagues as they fled for their lives.
On January 6, the former President broke America's 230-year
legacy of the peaceful transition of power when he incited a
mob to disrupt the counting of electoral college votes. Six
people died. A Capitol Police officer--one of our co-workers
who guards and greets us every day--was beaten to death. The
attack on our workplace was inspired by lies told by the
former president and others about the results of the election
in a baseless, months-long effort to reject votes lawfully
cast by the American people.
Our Constitution only works when we believe in it and
defend it. It's a shared commitment to equal justice, the
rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of our differences.
Any person who doesn't share these beliefs has no place
representing the American people, now or in the future. The
use of violence and lies to overturn an election is not
worthy of debate. Either you stand with the republic or
against it.
As Congressional employees, we don't have a vote on whether
to convict Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the
violent attack at the Capitol, but our Senators do. And for
our sake, and the sake of the country, we ask that they vote
to convict the former president and bar him from ever holding
office again.
Signed,
Aaron Fritschner, Abigail Hewins, Adam Comis, Adam Veale,
Alex Guajardo, Alex Karabatsos, Alex Marston, Alex Molina,
Alexa Marquez, Alexa Sledge, Alexander Gristina, Alexandra
Schnelle, Alexandra Yiannoutsos, Alexis C. MacDonald, Alisa
La, Allan Rodriguez, Allison Blankenship, Allison Lukas, Aly
DeWills-Marcano, Alyssa Mendez.
Amanda J. Quesada, Amand Yanchury, Amy Fischer, Amy Kuhn,
Amy Soenksen, Andi McIver, Andre Earls, Andrea N. Goldstein,
Andrew Goddeeris, Andrew Myslik, Andrew Noh, Aneeb Sheikh,
Angele Russell, Angelica Duque, Angie Wells, Anissa Z.
Caldwell, Anne Feldman, Anne Wick, Annetta Joyce, Annmarie
Goyzueta.
Anthony Barnes, Anthony Lemma, Anuj Gupta, Aria Kovalovich,
Artin Haghshenas, Asha Samuel, Ashlee Wilkins, Avery
Bonifati, Barbara Hamlett, Beatrix M. Dalton, Ben Kamens, Ben
Rutan, Ben Turner, Benito Torres Jr., Benjamin Bernier, Brad
Korten, Brandon Garay, Brandon Mendoza, Brendan Greenlee,
Bridget Hogan.
Brigid Campbell, Brittan Robinson, Bryce Causey, Caleigh
Lynch, Carianne Lee, Carlos Murillo Villasenor, Carmen
Palumbo, Caroline Ramos, Carolyn Olortegui, Cassie Winters,
Caty Payette, Cesar Solis, Chandler Mason, Chelsea Alatriste
Martinez, Chelsea Rivas, Chloe Kessock, Chris Gibson, Chris
McCarthy, Christian Seasholtz, Christopher Nguyen.
Cindy M. Buhl, Cindy Matos Beltre, Clarissa Rojas, Cole A.
Baker, Colin Pio, Collin Davenport, Connor McNutt, Connor
Vargo, Cori Duggins, Corinne Paul, Courtney Callejas,
Courtney Hruska, Courtney Rogers, Cyre Velez, Dan Riffle,
Dana Hanson, Daniel Gleick, Daniel Holt, Daniel Maher,
Daniela Contreras.
Daniela Valles, Danielle Fulfs, David Lucas, David Sanchez,
David Todisco, Dayanara Ramirez, Denzel McCampbell, Dr.
Heather O'Beirne Kelly, Drew Hammill, Eddie Meyer, Eduardo N.
Lerma, Jr., Edwin Sevilla, Eleanor Trenary, Elena Radding,
Elizabeth Austin-Mackenzie, Elizabeth Kulig, Eloise Melcher,
Elyse Schupak, Emily Amador, Emily Lande-Rose.
Emily Loya, Emily Morrison, Emma Norman, Emma Zafran, Erin
Melody, Eva Naomi Gutierrez, Evan Brooks, Evan P. Dale,
Fabiola Pagan Melendez, Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampol, Frederick
Castro, Gabby Richards, Gail Chaney Kalinich, George
``Stephen'' Williams, Jr., George Flynn, Grace Rubinger, Greg
Claus, Griffin M. Anderson, Hannah Ceja.
Hannah Melissa Borja, Hannah Weinerman, Harsh Deshmukh,
Heather Boyd, Hector Colon, Helen Beaudreau, Humberto Ramos,
Hussain Altamimi, Jack Gebbia, Jack Stelzner, Jacqueline A.
Sanchez, Jae'Von McClain, Jaime Cobham, Jaimee Gilmartin,
Jamari Torrence, James E. McFeely, Jamie Smith, Jason Nerad,
Jason Tufele Carl Johnson, Jed Ober.
Jen Fox, Jenna Jaffe, Jennifer Chandler, Jeren Totten,
Jermaine Simmons, Jesse Malowitz, Jessica Andino, Jessica
Hernandez, Jessica Mulligan, Jessica Pedroza, Jessica Valdez,
Jessie Durrett, Jill Hirsch, Johana Mata, John Chapa
Gorczynski, John Swords, Johnathan Garza, Joicelynne Jackson,
Jona Koka, Jonathan Nwaru.
Jordan Dashow, Joseph Valente, Joy A. Hamer, Juan Romero-
Casillas, Julia Kravitz, Julian Gerson, Julie Jochem, Justin
McCartney, K'Yetta McKinney, Kaozouapa E. Lee, Kat Cosgrove,
Kate Brescia, Kate Stotesbery, Katharine Nasielski, Katie
Worley, Katrina Martell, Kelli Scott, Kelsey Smith, Kendra
Wood, Kenneth Russell DeGraff.
Kevin Figueroa, Kevin ONeil, Kevin Vargas, Kiara Tringali,
Kichelle Webster, Kimberly Stanton, Kimiko Hirota, Kira
Floersheim, Koray Rosati, Kory Haywood, Kristi Black, Kristin
Kopshever, Kristina Broadie Jeter, Kurtis Miller, Kyle
McKenney, Lana Abbasi, Lana Westfall Marro, Lanette Garcia,
Larissa Richardson, Laura Brantley.
Laura Ellen Schock, Laura Forero, Lauren Pauley, Lauren
Covington, Lauren Geiser, Lauren Linsmayer, Lauren Meininger,
LaVontae Brooks, Leslie Merrill, Leslie Zwicker, Liam
McCaffery, Libby Wiet, Lillian Adelstein, Lily Fitzpatrick,
Lisa Pahel, Lisa Tencer, Lucia Rodriguez, Luis Zegarra,
Maggie Harden, Malcolm Yates.
Mara Kelly, Maria Camila Gomez Osorio, Maria Di Leone,
Maria Martirosyan, Maria Robayo, Mariam Jalloul, Marilyn
Dillihay, Mark A. Hinson, Marlon Dubuisson, Maru Vazquez,
Matt Corridoni, Matt DeFreitas, Matt Jansen, Matt Sonneborn,
Matthew A. Ceja, Matthew Bonaccorsi, Matthew E. Fried,
Matthew Holcombe.
Matthew Morgan, Matthew Steil, Maureen Acero, Max Frankel,
Maytham Alshadood, Meaghan Johnson, Melanee Farrah, Mia
Robertson, Michael Harris, Michael Lawson, Michele Lockman,
Michelle Sanchez, Mike Lucier, Mike Shanahan, Moh Sharma,
Molly Cole, Mustafa Alemi, Natalie C. Adams, Nawaid Ladak,
Nick Burroughs.
Nicolas Ballon, Noah Simon, Numa St. Louis, Olga Avant-
Mier, Oliver Edelson, Olivia Byrd, Pam Trinward, Patrick
Carroll, Patrick Koetzle, Paula Mckinney-Rainey, Philip
Bennett, Pierre Whatley, Pilar Lugo, Priyanka Hooghan,
Quinton Johnson, Rachel Dembo, Rachel Montoya, Raman Khanna,
Randy Love, Rebecca Eichmann.
Rebecca R. Kelly, Rebekah Eskandani, Reecha Patel,
Remmington F. Belford, Rex Dyer, Ricardo Martinez, Rita L.
Waters, Robert M. Gottheim, Robert Montgomery, Rona Sayed,
Rosario Duran, Ryan A. Washington, Ryan Early, Ryan Morgan,
Rylee Stirn, Saira Bhatti, Sammi Goldsmith, Samuel R. Spencer
IV, Sara Barber.
Sara Guerrero, Sara Palasits, Sarah Dean, Sarah Mulero,
Scott Balough, Scott Heppard, Scott R. Nelson, Ph.D., Serena
Li, Shadawn Reddick-Smith, Shalini Gagliardi, Sharon Eliza
Nichols, Shawn M. Meredith, Sonia C. Norton, Sool Abdirahman,
Stephany Ospino, Stuart Styron, Sullivan Gassmann, T. Scott
Harris, Talia Marcus, Tamara P. Zapata.
Tara Jordan, Tara Rountree, Tendrina Alexandre, Thelma
Teresa Carrera, Theodore Steinberg, Thomas J. Story, Todd
Stein, Tommy Brown, Toni Dunbar, Udit Thakur, Victoria
Bonney, Victoria Graham, Victoria Oms, Wendy Ginsberg,
Whitley O'Neal, Will Barrett, William (Billy) Hennessy, Xiao
Shan Susan Liu, Yael Velvel, Yazmin Mehdi, Yonathan Teclu,
Zac Mitchiner, Zach Cafritz, Zach Fisch, Zoe Bluffstone.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano).
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez for
leading this Special Order hour, and I thank her for the bravery she
exhibited by sharing her story.
January 6 was unlike any other day I lived through during my time in
Congress. I awoke with Georgia on my mind, with hope in my heart, after
the runoff victories delivered us a Senate Democratic majority. That
morning, it felt like we were turning the page on a dark chapter and
entering a chapter of reckoning, progress, and, ultimately, unity.
To fully turn that page, Congress needed to count the electoral
college votes and certify the historic election of President Biden and
Vice President Harris. That was supposed to be a perfunctory,
procedural action. But it became, instead, the target of an angry mob
incited by the President, who encouraged that very mob to interfere and
stop the counting of the ballots.
Too many Republican colleagues empowered the lies that Trump told
instead of standing up for the truth and for our democracy.
Earlier that day, I had followed press reports about a rally being
organized by Trump supporters in Washington, and my staff warned me to
be careful as I carried out business in and around the Capitol. I got
to the Capitol early because I did not want to run into too many
crowds, but I never imagined what was coming after Trump encouraged his
supporters at a rally to storm the Capitol and disrupt the electoral
college count.
About midday, shortly before 1 o'clock, I was returning back to my
Cannon House Office Building when the Capitol Police told me: Sir, we
are closing down Cannon. We are evacuating Cannon. You need to go to
either the Longworth House Office Building or Rayburn and take cover.
So, I followed the instructions. I made my way back to Longworth,
where I took refuge in a colleague's office. Eventually, I made it to a
secure location in the Veterans' Affairs Committee offices in the
Longworth basement.
It was there my phone started to blow up with anxious constituents
who asked me if I was okay, and they made me aware of what was going on
outside. I turned on the television, and I could not believe what I was
seeing.
[[Page H364]]
What I saw were Capitol Police being overwhelmed and the violent mob
of Trump supporters breaking into the Capitol and bringing the
electoral college vote count to a halt.
As the violence unfolded, I have to say I was in a secure location,
as safe as I could be for that moment. I was fine but shaken, concerned
about what this meant for our democracy.
I worried about the safety of my colleagues. I worried about the
safety of the staff. I wondered when the National Guard would arrive,
when reinforcements would arrive, because it was extraordinarily
distressing to see our Capitol Police so greatly outnumbered by the
crowd.
I was safe. I turned out to be fine. I still am fine. But that is not
the case for everyone. Unlike my colleagues and me who are here, most
of the people who lived through the horrors of that day can't share
their experiences on the floor of the House today.
I am here to give voice to and acknowledge the experience of hundreds
of congressional staffers, Capitol support staff, maintenance workers,
and Capitol Police officers who also lived through that deadly
insurrection. They experienced and lived the trauma, and it is just as
valid and real as the stories that are being shared here today.
{time} 1945
Staff barricaded themselves in offices. They heard banging on the
doors from insurrectionists who could harm them. Staff also evacuated
the House Chamber in gas masks. They were alone, gathering any items
they could use as weapons in case the insurrectionists broke into the
very room they were sheltering in. They were in danger as well. This is
their workplace, hundreds of people who answer the phones and keep our
buildings running and keep us safe every day.
When you run for office, you are confronted with the reality that you
may be putting yourself in harm's way. Staff didn't ask for this, they
didn't sign up for this, to be put in harm's way. They shouldn't have
had to have dealt with an attack like this. They were just doing their
jobs.
Those who lived through that dangerous day or watched as the Capitol
was attacked from home are also experiencing pain and trauma. To them,
I say: What you are feeling is valid, and we are here to support you,
and don't let anybody gaslight or diminish or belittle what happened on
January 6th. It was a serious event.
Over the past few weeks, I learned that following the insurrection,
the Office of Employee Assistance has been overwhelmed with requests
for counseling and support from our staff. After my staff on the House
Committee on Veterans' Affairs and I were made aware of this
overwhelming of requests at the Office of Employee Assistance, we
worked with the VA to bring Mobile Vet Centers to the Capitol complex
to provide mental health services and resources to Capitol Police, the
National Guard deployed at the Capitol, congressional staff,
journalists, and anyone who needs it.
I visited one of the vet centers this morning, and they told me,
vaguely, ``Congressman, the numbers are there. The numbers, out of
confidentiality, we won't tell you how many, but people are using these
centers, and they are asking for help.''
The Mobile Vet Centers can accept walk-in appointments every day,
including weekends, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. If someone would like to
schedule a next-day appointment, they may call the Washington, D.C. Vet
Center at 202-726-5212.
I just want to emphasize, if you work at the Capitol, as part of the
Capitol workforce, whether you work as a maintenance worker, whether
you work as a staffer, this is available to you.
I thank my colleagues and the staff who keep our democracy running.
The only way to make this right and to help heal our Nation is for the
Senate to do the right thing and hold Donald Trump accountable for the
insurrection he incited.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her incredible
courage. I asked her to go last because this is so personal. This is so
hard because, as many of my colleagues and my closest colleagues know,
on my very first day of orientation, I got my first death threat.
It was a serious one. They took me aside. The FBI had to go to the
gentleman's home. I didn't even get sworn in yet and someone wanted me
dead for just existing.
More came later; uglier, more violent. One celebrating in writing the
New Zealand massacre and hoping that more would come. Another mentioned
my dear son, Adam, mentioning him by name. Each one paralyzed me each
time.
So what happened on January 6, all I can do is thank Allah that I
wasn't here. I felt overwhelming relief. I feel bad for Alexandria and
so many of my colleagues who were here; but as I saw it, I thought to
myself, Thank God I am not there. I saw the images that they didn't get
to see until later.
My team and I decided at that point we would keep the death threats
away. We tried to report them, document them, to keep them away from me
because it just paralyzed me. All I wanted to do was come here and
serve the people who raised me; the people who told my mother, who only
had an 8th grade education, that she deserves human dignity; people who
believed in me.
So it is hard. It is hard when my seven brothers and six sisters beg
me to get protection, many urging me to get a gun for the first time.
And I have to tell you, the trauma from just being here, existing as a
Muslim woman is so hard. But imagine my team, which I love and just
adore. They are diverse. I have LGBTQ staff. I have a beautiful Muslim
who wears her hijab proudly in the halls. I have Black women who are so
proud to be here, to serve their country. I worry every day for their
lives because of this rhetoric. I never thought that they would feel
unsafe here.
So I ask my colleagues to please try not to dehumanize what is
happening. This is real. And you know many of our residents, from the
shootings in Charlottesville to the massacre at the synagogue, all of
it--all of it is led by hate rhetoric like this. So I urge my
colleagues to please, please take what happened on January 6 seriously.
It will lead to more deaths. We can do better. We must do better.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I think that what Representative
Tlaib speaks to is so powerful and so important because when we attack
not just Members of Congress and focus on them because of their gender,
their faith, their race, their creed, we make everyone on this complex
feel unsafe and feel less than safe. Our seats do not belong to us.
They belong to the people of the United States. We, as Members who come
in and leave this Chamber, are not permanent fixtures. There are so
many others in this country who see themselves in the 435 Members of
this body. And to see individual Members targeted, demeaned, singled
out by virtue of how they were born is to single out and demean so many
people in this country who see themselves on this floor.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Ms. Bush), a
powerful woman and leader that so many in our country see themselves
in.
Ms. BUSH. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for
being such a leader at this time.
Madam Speaker, St. Louis and I rise to reflect on how our office
experienced the white supremacist attack on our Nation's Capitol on
January 6.
Everybody's experiences are different, and everybody's experiences
must be validated. Everybody's experiences.
I remember sitting up in the gallery listening to floor speeches,
knowing that there was supposed to be a protest happening outside,
seeing people outside and thinking that this was just part of the day.
Until something happened, and I just felt the need to stand up and walk
out.
I walked out and walked over to the steps, and I went down a flight.
I went to the steps and I went to look to see what was happening
outside. I saw the tip-top of flags, and then I saw more of the flags,
and I could read words.
And then after I could read words, I could see people. Then I
realized that people were approaching. So I hopped on the nearest
elevator and left and made it back to my office safely.
[[Page H365]]
When we came back into our office, we walked in, and we started to
see on our televisions people breaching doors.
I remember thinking, Is this actually what is happening?
The more I watched, people were calling this a protest. Let me say
this: That was not a protest. I have been to hundreds of protests in my
life. I have co-organized, co-led, led and organized protests not only
in Ferguson, Missouri, alongside the amazing Ferguson front line that
most people don't even acknowledge--they don't even know their names.
They don't even know who died. They don't even acknowledge the amazing
people who put their lives and livelihoods on the line for our safety,
believing that Black Lives Matter. Because they actually do. And we
shouldn't have to say it. It should just be true. But it is not evident
in our society when we have to continue to say, ``My life matters.''
And then they hit us with things like this. So I remember sitting in
the office with my team and just thinking to myself, I feel like I am
back. At this very minute, I feel like I am back. I feel like this was
one of the days out there on the streets when the white supremacists
would show up and start shooting at us. This is one of the days when
the police would ambush us from behind, from behind trees and from
behind buildings, and all of a sudden now we are on the ground being
brutalized. It felt like one of those days.
And I just remember taking a second thinking, if they touch these
doors, if they hit these doors the way they hit that door, if they hit
these doors and come anywhere near my staff--and I am just going to be
real honest about it--my thought process was, we banging to the end. I
am not letting them take out my people, and you are not taking me out.
We have come too far.
So, Madam Speaker, St. Louis and I rise with a message for our
Republican colleagues. On January 6, I thought about January 3, and I
thought about how we all raised our right hands up and took an oath,
each and every one of us, on this very floor. We swore that we would
support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all
enemies, foreign and domestic.
Even though that Constitution wasn't written for people who look like
me, even though that Constitution wasn't written by people who look
like me, and even though that Constitution cemented an unjust nation
for people like me, my team and I got to working. We unveiled
legislation to investigate and expel those who were responsible for
inciting this attack so that we could defend it because we have a duty
to fight for a more perfect Union.
Because if you cannot stand up to white supremacy in this moment as
Representatives, then why did you run for office in the first place?
No matter what district you represent, no matter where you live, no
matter Democrat or Republican, you represent a district that is, on
average, about 700,000 people. Meaning, you have to represent those who
love you, those who despise you, those who voted for you, those who
swear they will never cast a vote for you, people who talk like you or
people who don't look like you.
Building better communities, building better lives, building a better
society is not a Democratic or Republican issue. We can't build a
better society if Members are too scared to stand up and act to reject
the white supremacist attack that happened right before our eyes.
How can we trust that you will address the suffering that white
supremacy causes on a day-to-day basis in the shadows if you can't even
address the white supremacy that happens right in front of you in your
House?
Does your silence speak to your agreement, is the question.
In St. Louis, the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately
hospitalizing and killing Black and Brown people. I have lived that. We
have people dying from gun violence, a crisis that stems from decades
of economic disinvestment and disruption from an overreliance on
policing that this very Chamber has continually voted to endorse.
{time} 2000
I have cried those tears. You don't know what that is like. So I ask
you today, take a moment to think about what it is like to live what we
live through. If you cannot do what is right in the face of a blatant,
heinous, foul, white supremacist attack like the one we just saw, how
will you do right by the Black and Brown people you represent who just
want to know that our children will have safety, that our children will
have life, and that they will have shelter, because you represent us,
too.
So on January 3, we stood together to swear our oath of office to the
Constitution. We swore to defend it against all enemies foreign and
domestic. Well, it was attacked by a domestic enemy called white
supremacy and we must stand together now, today, to uphold that oath
and hold every single person who helped incite it accountable.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Bush for her
comments today and for how she carries herself in this Chamber every
day, which is just a powerful demonstration of why so many people are
inspired by her example.
Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from New York has 4\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Madam Speaker, lastly, I would like to close,
speaking to some of the individuals who have already been mentioned,
and some of the folks who have already been mentioned in prior remarks:
our staff, our Capitol Police, our House clerks, we thank you.
We know how many of you were put in the line of danger because of the
job that you have. We know and felt how many staffers were willing to
put themselves on the line in order to protect the Members that they
serve alongside, and that is a weight that no one should have to carry.
And so we say thank you to our House clerks. We say thank you to
every single staff member of the United States Congress. We say thank
you to our food service workers. We say thank you to our custodial
workers, sweeping up the glass on the floor shattered by white
supremacists, cleaning up after their mess.
There are not enough ways to say thank you. We say thank you to our
Capitol Police who were willing to defend us. And, again, to our
staffers we say thank you.
I would be remiss if I did not specifically thank my staffer right
here to my left, Gerardo Bonilla Chavez, who was with me on the day of
the attack, and who did everything he could to protect me.
I want his community to know that he is a hero. I want his parents
and his family to know that he is a hero. Our staff already know that
he is a hero, and I believe he is a hero, too.
And I know it is not just him. He will be the first one to say that.
But to every one of our House clerks, we say thank you; to our Capitol
Police we say thank you; to our food service workers, our custodial
workers, every person here that was standing to fight for our
democracy, we thank you.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________