[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E46]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONDEMNING THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TIM RYAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 19, 2021

  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.

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