Durbin: McConnell's Efforts To Stop An Investigation Into January 6 Failed
In speech on Senate floor, Durbin hailed the bravery of the police officers who testified at yesterday’s House hearing and called on his colleagues to support the bipartisan emergency security supplemental
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today commended the brave Capitol Police Officers and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officers who testified at yesterday’s House Select Committee hearing to investigate the events that led up to and occurred on January 6, 2021, and once again slammed Senate Republicans’ refusal to support the bipartisan, independent January 6 commission.
“It continues to amaze me that an independent, bipartisan committee to investigate the worst assault on our democracy since the war of 1812—an assault that left one police officer dead and more than 140 injured—was filibustered and stopped in its tracks by the Republican Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell. That’s exactly what he did. He tried to conceal the truth about what happened on January 6. He tried to hide it from the American people and to do this without police officers in this building noticing, many of whom risked their lives on that day,” Durbin said. “Well, we saw yesterday that he failed. Senator McConnell failed to stop the investigation. We’re going to learn what happened on January 6 despite his effort to stop it.”
Durbin continued, “During the first hearing of the Select Committee yesterday, we heard testimony from four police officers who battled the mob for hours on January 6… These officers were brutalized in hand-to-hand combat. Some thought they were going to die. And they’re still grappling with the physical and emotional trauma they suffered… To all the police officers who held the line on January 6, let me say clearly: you defended American democracy. You didn’t just defend this building and the members of Congress. And if not for your heroism and sacrifice, the toll of that day would have been far worse.”
In his speech on the Senate floor, Durbin also called on his colleagues to support the $2.1 billion bipartisan agreement on an emergency security supplemental to address the fallout of the January 6 insurrection, support for our Afghan allies alongside the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, and expenses incurred on the Capitol complex as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the time to show the officers that protected us—and the world—that when you defend America in a time of need, we’ll stand by you,” Durbin said. “I urge my colleagues to support the security supplemental bill. It’s the least that we can do.”
Finally, Durbin slammed Fox News primetime anchors Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham for belittling and mocking the four police officers who bravely testified at yesterday’s House Select Committee hearing.
“Their mockery of the bravery of the Capitol and D.C. police who risked and some lost their lives on January 6 is cowardly and shameful. It took courage for the police to face the Trump mob, it takes no courage for these Fox talking heads to belittle these officers,” Durbin said. “Certainly there’s freedom of speech, but let’s hope that good sense will dominate the discussion over at the Fox network as to whether these two ought to continue their rant.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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