Providing for Consideration of H.R. National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act; and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Emergency Security Supplemental to Respond to January 6th Appropriations Act, 2021
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and underlying bills before us today.
It has been over 4 months since the attack on the Capitol, an attack which disrupted a joint session of Congress and threatened one of the most essential pillars of our American Government: the peaceful and democratic transfer of power. That lawless assault threatened not just the foundations of our government, but also the lives of those who served their fellow citizens here. That assault shattered the illusion of security and sanctity of this building, the United States Capitol.
We remain eternally grateful for the bravery and patriotism of the members of the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan Police who heroically defended this building, its occupants, and our democracy.
But it is long past time to launch an independent, bipartisan examination of what occurred on January 6, why it occurred, and how to prevent it from ever happening again. We need a commission with the power and authority to collect evidence and make recommendations across multiple agencies, committees, and branches of government impacted by the attack.
Almost as soon as the tear gas and broken glass had been cleared in the wee hours of January 7, we began hearing calls for unity. But what has remained illusive is a shared set of facts behind which the Nation can unify and forge a path to healing and accountability for the events of January 6. That path starts with these bills.
We cannot repair the damage to our government and the rule of law so long as we have national leaders or those who seek to be propagating lies about why our government was attacked and the gravity of the events of January 6. Those falsehoods are incredibly dangerous, and so long as they remain unchallenged by a bipartisan, independent commission, we are never going to get past the dark part of our history.
In addition to creating this bipartisan commission, we also need to pass the emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund the many additional expenses which were created by the Capitol attack, including overtime, staffing, training for law enforcement, reimbursing the National Guard, and so much more.
I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for this rule.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source