[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S183-S184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              IMPEACHMENT

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, this morning as I came to work in the 
Capitol, I saw our National Guard troops outside. I wanted to thank 
them, again, on behalf of the Senate and the people of America for 
coming to our assistance during the inauguration ceremonies. Some are 
still on the job, making sure that we maintain order in the streets of 
Washington, DC, and that we conduct the business of the American people 
here in the Capitol Building.
  I want to thank them again, particularly the 270 National Guard 
forces from my State of Illinois--I had a chance to meet many of them--
sacrificing time away from their families to serve their Nation. It was 
a job well done.
  For those who continue to do the work, we stand by you, and we thank 
you again.
  Heather Cox Richardson does a column each day that is really a source 
of information that is important. She reminded us in her column this 
morning about what happened here in this Capitol Building just 3 weeks 
ago on January 6. Let me read what she said:

       In testimony yesterday, the acting chief of the 
     Metropolitan Police Department in Washington told the House 
     Appropriations Committee that at least 65 officers filed 
     reports of injury after the January 6 attack. The chair of 
     the Capitol Police officers' union . . . put the number 
     closer to 140. ``I have officers who were not issued helmets 
     prior to the attack [and] who have sustained brain injuries. 
     One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal 
     discs. One officer is going to lose his eye, and another was 
     stabbed with a metal fence stake,'' he said. One officer died 
     of injuries sustained on January 6. Two officers have since 
     taken their own lives.

  I want to put that in the Record because in a week, beginning with 
the impeachment trial, we are going to reflect, again, on what happened 
January 6.
  Some of my colleagues, and many people on their side, are saying we 
shouldn't spend time talking about what happened on January 6. In the 
words of the former Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, we ought 
to ``get over it''--``get over it.'' It is hard to get over it when you 
consider the facts that I just read into the Record. For the families 
of those officers who lost their lives and those who were seriously 
injured, they won't get over it for a long, long time.
  I don't know what the impeachment trial will find in terms of the 
role of the former President of the United States, but I believe it is 
an important milestone in America's history for us to stop and recount 
what actually happened in this building on January 6, where a mob, 
incited by the President, stormed this Capitol, broke through, smashing 
windows and doors, and literally took control of this Capitol Building 
for several hours. Here in the Senate Chamber, we were evacuated. Thank 
goodness, we returned that same evening to complete our business and 
complete our work.
  There is ample evidence of what happened that day by video, 
photographs, and testimony. I hope it is part of the record in this 
impeachment hearing so that this generation and future generations will 
have no doubt what happened that day.
  Already, we have those who are in denial, who are arguing that this 
was really some far-left group that was taking over the demonstration--
a ludicrous argument on its face. And we have many who are in complete 
denial that it happened or that it had anything to do with rightwing 
politics. They are wrong. We saw it. We recorded it. We are going to 
put it, in part, as part of the record so that America knows what 
happened on that day.
  Yesterday, we got a warning that this may not be the end of it, that 
there may be more activity. Let me say at the outset that I condemn 
extremism and violence on any part of the political spectrum. But 
yesterday, the

[[Page S184]]

warning was to the right, who apparently are going to continue in their 
efforts to disrupt life in America and endanger the lives of fellow 
Americans and law enforcement officers.
  We need to stand up as a nation and say, ``Enough.'' Whatever your 
political strife, there is no room for extremism and violence in the 
exercise of a constitutional responsibility or right.
  I wanted to make that as part of the Record as an opening statement

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