[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2468-S2469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Protests

  Madam President, we had a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee 
this morning, and the committee discussed at the outset threats that 
have been reported against judges, Justices, their families, and their 
homes. This committee has responded with a bill--a bipartisan bill--by 
Senators Cornyn and Coons to provide more security protection for the 
Supreme Court. I fully endorse it, and I am glad that it passed 
unanimously. It should have.
  There have been complaints this week about demonstrations in front of 
the homes of Justices and others. I have made my position clear. I 
think that such demonstrations are totally unnecessary, unwise, and 
should be discouraged. In some cases, they are reprehensible.
  The pressure that is trying to be applied on these officials by 
protesters, whether they are for or against a certain issue, are just 
unacceptable. I stand by that position, and I believe that Democrats 
and Republicans agree that we have to be serious about protecting those 
who are elected to public office at every level from harassment, 
intimidation, and, above all, from any violence.
  I condemn those attacks on anti-abortion organizations in two States: 
Wisconsin and Oregon. The fire-bombing that took place in one--that is 
unacceptable. Violence is never acceptable in a democracy.
  Having said that, I beg my Republican colleagues to show some 
consistency. I was here January 6, 2021, when this insurrectionist mob, 
inspired by President Trump, came up, crashed down the windows and 
floors into this Capitol, and marched on this Chamber. I was on the 
floor of the U.S. Senate when we were advised by the Capitol Police to 
evacuate as quickly as possible to save our own lives. I was in this 
building when several of the Capitol Police stepped up and showed 
dramatic heroism. Some of them lost their lives as a result of it.
  Five to seven people died on January 6, 2021, as a result of what 
happened that day. A hundred and fifty law enforcement officials were 
attacked. And how did the Republicans respond to that? Senator 
McConnell personally stopped any effort at a bipartisan commission to 
determine what caused that attack and how to avoid it in the future. He 
personally came to the floor and objected. I heard him do it.
  The only investigation that has taken place is in the Democratic 
House of Representatives and, thank goodness, several Republican 
Congressmen and women have stepped forward.
  I want to salute from my own State Republican Congressman Adam 
Kinzinger. He joined this bipartisan effort to investigate January 6, 
2021. He is retiring now. He paid a heavy price for his decision, but 
it was a principled decision. I respect him for it.
  The same with Congresswoman Liz Cheney. We probably don't agree on 
half a dozen issues, but I have to tell you, I admire her and respect 
her courage for stepping up and saying she wanted the investigation in 
the House to be bipartisan and, therefore, she was going to be part of 
the panel. I respect her very much for that.
  Next month, we are going to have public hearings in the House of 
Representatives on this issue. We should have had a bipartisan 
commission looking at January 6, 2021, but Senator McConnell and 
Republicans stopped it.
  What did the Republican National Committee say in the official 
release

[[Page S2469]]

about the January 6, 2021, insurrectionist mob that crashed through the 
Capitol here, desecrating it, endangering the lives of innocent 
people--what did they say about it? They called it ``legitimate 
political discourse''--legitimate political discourse--with five to 
seven people dead and 150 police officers assaulted. That is 
illegitimate; that is unacceptable, whether the intended victims were 
Members of Congress or the victims today are members of the Supreme 
Court.
  Have the good sense, I say to my Republican colleagues, to be 
consistent. If you are opposed to violence and believe it is 
unacceptable in a democratic society, make that standard apply whether 
the victims are in one branch of the government or another. It is 
absolutely unacceptable in both.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.