Recommending That the House Find Stephen K. Bannon in Contempt of Congress

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to refer Stephen Bannon to the Department of Justice for prosecution for contempt of Congress.

It didn't have to be this way. Mr. Bannon, a self-professed patriot, could have done the patriotic thing and cooperated with our bipartisan committee.

If Mr. Bannon was proud of the role he played in connection with January 6, he should be eager to tell his side of the story. Instead, he is acting like a man who has something to hide. Our committee seeks only the truth. That is our legal charge and our moral obligation. We cannot let any individual impede our inquiry, and we will not tolerate Mr. Bannon's evasion.

Why must we be so unrelenting in our pursuit of truth? Because on January 6, the greatest Nation on Earth came under attack. And this attack wasn't carried out by officials in Beijing, Moscow, or Tehran, or by foreign terrorists even. It was an attack conducted by our fellow citizens, regular Americans who were radicalized because they believed outrageous lies fed to them by other Americans in positions of power and influence.

The attack was launched against the seat and symbol of our Republic. It was designed to disrupt the certification of the Presidential election results, to defy the will of the voters. This was no peaceful protest in a proud American tradition. It was violent and vicious. Members of the mob wielded weapons. They called for the death of the Vice President. They hunted Members of Congress. They caused severe harm to law enforcement officers. And the real disservice to the police comes from those who want to whitewash the violence of January 6 and pretend that the riot of that day was anything short of the violent attack it was, aimed at derailing the peaceful transfer of power.

America is not just a place; it is an idea. And on January 6, there was an attack on the very idea of America. I believe that patriots of all political stripes should want to protect our Capitol, this country, and her Constitution. Our committee will make a full accounting of what happened, and we will make recommendations to ensure it never happens again.

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