-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for organizing this Special Order, appropriately so, because this is the conclusion of the inauguration efforts of this week.

On January 6, 2021, I expressed numerous times to my constituents and to my colleagues that it was the saddest day of the 20 years that I have had the privilege and honor to serve in the Congress. That day the world watched as a violent mob of insurrectionists breached the Capitol, attacked the police viciously, and tried to overturn a fair and free election.

I was one of 25 Members trapped in the House gallery for 40 minutes as we observed the counting of the ballots as part of our responsibility every 4 years. Let me just say this was not a peaceful protest, as some have tried to portray it, including President Trump and Speaker Johnson.

Let me repeat this. The photos and the videos that we have all seen over the last 4 years make it very clear. This was no lovefest. It was not a peaceful protest. It was a violent insurrection attempt to overthrow a fair and free election. I feel very strongly about this, having been trapped up in that gallery with my colleagues here for 40 minutes.

On that day I came to the House Chamber with my colleagues to certify the 2020 Presidential election which President Joe Biden had won overwhelmingly. Four years later, this week, my colleagues and I are speaking out to ensure that no one rewrites history with a false narrative which we see being attempted to take place.

Just a handful of brave Capitol Police Officers up in that gallery that day stood between us and the violent mob that had already breached the Senate Chamber and now were trying to force their way in here to the people's House.

I took this photograph when I was crouched down there with my gas mask because of the attempt of this violent insurrectionist group of people. I remember crouching on the floor with my colleagues, thinking how could this be happening. I thought it was surreal and unbelievable that it would happen in the United States of America, the oldest democracy in the world.

As a student of American history, I thought to myself that as strong and as resilient as our democracy and our country has been historically during wars and depressions, it was a stark reminder to me, while we were up there wondering what our fate might be, how fragile our democracy can be.

This week President Trump pardoned over 1,500 perpetrators convicted for assaulting police officers and, as was noted by some of my colleagues here this afternoon, some who lost their lives. These are some of the folks, these Proud Boys, that were trying to break into the Chamber. The police had them on the ground. They had their hands bound.

We finally got out of this Chamber and walked out. As we were being escorted to a safe place, we saw people trying to break in to get us, to get the Speaker, to hang the Vice President at the direction of President Trump. They were trying to overthrow the results of the 2020 elections.

I do not believe these pardons that took place here this week were justified, and I think the majority of Americans don't believe they were either. We cannot allow history to be rewritten. The facts are the facts. The documentation, the hearings, and the videos are proof of what happened that day.

Four years ago those violent insurrectionists chose a different path at President Trump's direction. They shattered the sacred tradition of a peaceful transfer of power which has been the cornerstone of our democracy, dating back to our first President, George Washington.

Let's talk about this week. While I didn't agree with the outcome of last year's election, I respected it. That is the essence of a democracy. This Monday, at the inauguration, we had a peaceful transfer of power led by President Biden and the other former Presidents. That is the way it is supposed to be. It wasn't that way 4 years ago. No, it wasn't that way 4 years ago.

Let me just say something, and I wish more of my Republican colleagues had the profiles in courage that I think is required. Democrats are not election deniers. We may not have liked the results of last year's election, but we accepted them. We cannot allow history to be rewritten nor can we forget the sacrifices of the brave Capitol Police who risked everything to protect our democracy.

The Capitol Police stood on the front lines, giving their all to defend the ideals that we hold dear. They should be appropriately honored with more than simply a sign on our doors. We owe it to their families and to our constituents to ensure that the truth remains clear that justice is served and that we never let those who sought to tear us apart rewrite the story on January 6, 2021.

Mr. Speaker, let me close by expressing the simple, plain truth. As a young boy, my mother told me: The truth is the truth. America is a great country. Some of us like to say it is the greatest country in the world because we honor the truth. That is why we are here today. That is why this Special Order is important. That is why I want to thank my colleagues for speaking out. America is a great country because we honor and respect the truth.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source