Insurrection in the Capitol

Floor Speech

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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 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.

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