[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H5550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





          EXCESSES OF JANUARY 6 AND THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, on February 27, 1933, the Reichstag, 
Germany's capitol building, was set on fire. Who was responsible 
remains in dispute even today.
  But what is undisputed is that the Nazis, barely holding on to power 
in a coalition government, used the attack to besmirch their political 
opponents, consolidate their grip on the government, arrest hundreds of 
political opponents, and, ultimately, rescind the due process rights 
and fundamental freedoms of the German people. It remains a cautionary 
tale, for obvious reasons.
  The January 6 riot at the Capitol has become the centerpiece of the 
Democrats' agenda. No other issue facing our country, not the worst 
inflation in 40 years, not the highest gasoline prices in history, not 
the fastest increase in homicides ever recorded, not the historically 
unprecedented illegal mass migration across our southern border, none 
of these crises has commanded prime-time congressional hearings from 
the Democrats.
  What happened here on January 6 was an affront to our Constitution 
and a national disgrace. Those who entered the Capitol with the intent 
to disrupt the counting of electoral votes deserved to be denounced by 
their fellow citizens and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
  More importantly, questions involving the authority of Congress to 
refuse to count electoral votes, or why adequate security was not 
present to protect the Capitol, or whether there were conspiracies to 
break into the Capitol are all important to resolve to ensure that this 
never happens again.
  What is unfolding, instead, is a sick mockery of the principles of 
fairness and due process that this House is founded upon. It promises 
to discredit those proceedings and to dishonor its participants.
  Congress has a time-honored process to get at the truth. It 
guarantees the right of both sides to appoint their representatives, 
who then question and debate the facts, offer conflicting evidence, and 
hold an issue to every light.
  For the first time in the history of this institution, the Speaker 
arrogated to herself not only the selection of the majority members but 
the minority members as well, thus assuring only one side, her side, 
could be heard.
  Without having both sides represented, it becomes impossible to test 
the accuracy of facts, the truth of the narratives, and the soundness 
of opinions. It robs the process of the credibility that is a necessary 
prerequisite to legitimacy.
  Instead of the sober inquiry that should have been undertaken a year 
and a half ago, we have a Soviet-style show trial, all carefully 
choreographed by an ABC television producer.
  To add hypocrisy to outrage, some of the Speaker's representatives 
played a crucial role in developing and fanning the Russia collusion 
hoax that groundlessly challenged the legitimacy of the Trump election 
and Presidency. Some were themselves involved in challenging electoral 
votes counted after the 2016 election. Some were apologists for the 
violent riots that consumed this country in 2020. Some have been eerily 
silent as Supreme Court Justices have been intimidated in their own 
homes.
  Now, the FBI thoroughly examined the riot last year. They found no 
evidence that President Trump conspired with protesters to enter the 
Capitol, nor have the Democrats offered any now. They instead repackage 
and rehash the snap impeachment trial in which the President was 
acquitted by the Senate.
  Indeed, this committee knows but has deceptively suppressed the 
stunning fact that 4 days before the riot, President Trump offered the 
use of National Guard troops to keep the peace. The Democrat leadership 
turned it down.
  Do they really expect us to believe that the same guy who 
meticulously planned the riot also authorized the National Guard to 
prevent the riot? This is insane.
  Insurrection? The constitutional process immediately resumed once 
these yahoos were kicked out of this building. Do the Democrats 
actually expect us to believe that some lunatic wearing buffalo horns 
was moments away from seizing control of our government?
  The narrative cannot survive in open debate, and the Democrats know 
it. That is why they are not permitting one.
  Our institutions are strong because they are backed by the common 
sense of the American people. Our traditions of due process and 
fairness are too deeply ingrained in the American character to succumb 
to this madness.
  After Americans have reported their verdict in the upcoming election, 
perhaps we can forge a bipartisan consensus on the measures necessary 
to assure that the excesses of both January 6 and the January 6th 
Committee never threaten us again.

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