Condemning the January 6th Attack on the Capitol

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. RYAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in outrage and sadness at the insurrection and attempted coup we saw in this very building on January 6. There is no doubt this attack was instigated by President Trump and responsibility for the violence rests with him and his supporters who ransacked the People's House.

I'd like to include in the Record the following statement from my constituents, the Youngstown Warren Black Caucus write:

The Youngstown Warren Black Caucus is outraged by the act of domestic terrorists at our nations' Capitol Building yesterday. Although we are angry and saddened, we agree with our 44th President Barack Obama's statement that it was not a total surprise.

Donald Trump and many Republican members of Congress who attempted to disenfranchise the votes of 81 million citizens have been encouraging insurrection by their voters. Even after multiple recounts, legal defeats, and explanation of the constitution and how elections are run, Trump continued to spout lies about the election that he lost. He and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani have been telling their supporters for 2 months that the election was fraudulent and that there was a chance they could change the outcome if people just complained, protested, and demanded they won knowing full well the outcome could not be changed. While the majority of the nation understood that was untrue, their most loyal supporters believed them. For his final act of defiance to democracy, Trump invited thousands of supporters to DC yesterday for a rally and march to the Capitol building to ``stop the steal'' before Congress would certify the Electoral College votes that have already been certified by every state in the nation. Sadly, they listened to the instructions of these liars and our nations' Capitol building was breached for the first time since the War of 1812.

Besides the obvious need to punish anyone who broke the law, we believe those who incited this insurrection must be held accountable for the betrayal to our nation. That includes Trump and members of Congress who attempted to throw out the results of the presidential election and Insurrection is a criminal act which is why we join the NAACP, Urban League, and National Action Network in calling for the resignation or removal of Donald Trump. He is anything but a patriot.

Last, but certainly not least, our members are appalled by the continued disparate treatment by law enforcement between white and black Americans. Back in June of 2020 a peaceful protest by Black Lives Matter demonstrators outside the White House was charged by numerous law enforcement entities to clear a block so that Trump could walk across the street and hold a Bible upside down outside a neighborhood church. Conversely, the angry mob of thousands of rioters were met with little resistance. Some Capitol police held the doors open for the rioters, others took pictures with them as they headed towards Congressional Chambers and offices to vandalize, steal, and destroy federal property.

The event made it painfully clear that there are 2 justice systems in America. One for black and brown people and their white allies, and a separate one for domestic terrorists who embrace white supremacy. It is ridiculous that we are still having this conversation 245 years after the founding of this nation. America must live up to her promise of ``and justice for all.''

I thank the Capitol Police and other law enforcement personnel for their work to protect Members and all who work in the Capitol Complex. However, it is obvious that there were systematic breakdowns in security that need to be addressed. We must get to the bottom of these breakdowns and prevent them from ever happening again.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source