The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IMPEACHMENT” mentioning Richard J. Durbin was published in the Senate section on pages S183-S184 on Jan. 28.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IMPEACHMENT
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, this morning as I came to work in the Capitol, I saw our National Guard troops outside. I wanted to thank them, again, on behalf of the Senate and the people of America for coming to our assistance during the inauguration ceremonies. Some are still on the job, making sure that we maintain order in the streets of Washington, DC, and that we conduct the business of the American people here in the Capitol Building.
I want to thank them again, particularly the 270 National Guard forces from my State of Illinois--I had a chance to meet many of them--
sacrificing time away from their families to serve their Nation. It was a job well done.
For those who continue to do the work, we stand by you, and we thank you again.
Heather Cox Richardson does a column each day that is really a source of information that is important. She reminded us in her column this morning about what happened here in this Capitol Building just 3 weeks ago on January 6. Let me read what she said:
In testimony yesterday, the acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington told the House Appropriations Committee that at least 65 officers filed reports of injury after the January 6 attack. The chair of the Capitol Police officers' union . . . put the number closer to 140. ``I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack [and] who have sustained brain injuries. One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs. One officer is going to lose his eye, and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake,'' he said. One officer died of injuries sustained on January 6. Two officers have since taken their own lives.
I want to put that in the Record because in a week, beginning with the impeachment trial, we are going to reflect, again, on what happened January 6.
Some of my colleagues, and many people on their side, are saying we shouldn't spend time talking about what happened on January 6. In the words of the former Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, we ought to ``get over it''--``get over it.'' It is hard to get over it when you consider the facts that I just read into the Record. For the families of those officers who lost their lives and those who were seriously injured, they won't get over it for a long, long time.
I don't know what the impeachment trial will find in terms of the role of the former President of the United States, but I believe it is an important milestone in America's history for us to stop and recount what actually happened in this building on January 6, where a mob, incited by the President, stormed this Capitol, broke through, smashing windows and doors, and literally took control of this Capitol Building for several hours. Here in the Senate Chamber, we were evacuated. Thank goodness, we returned that same evening to complete our business and complete our work.
There is ample evidence of what happened that day by video, photographs, and testimony. I hope it is part of the record in this impeachment hearing so that this generation and future generations will have no doubt what happened that day.
Already, we have those who are in denial, who are arguing that this was really some far-left group that was taking over the demonstration--
a ludicrous argument on its face. And we have many who are in complete denial that it happened or that it had anything to do with rightwing politics. They are wrong. We saw it. We recorded it. We are going to put it, in part, as part of the record so that America knows what happened on that day.
Yesterday, we got a warning that this may not be the end of it, that there may be more activity. Let me say at the outset that I condemn extremism and violence on any part of the political spectrum. But yesterday, the warning was to the right, who apparently are going to continue in their efforts to disrupt life in America and endanger the lives of fellow Americans and law enforcement officers.
We need to stand up as a nation and say, ``Enough.'' Whatever your political strife, there is no room for extremism and violence in the exercise of a constitutional responsibility or right.
I wanted to make that as part of the Record as an opening statement
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