[Pages S827-S828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           January 6 Pardons

  Mr. President, on a completely separate note, I realize that the 
President made these statements during the course of his campaign, but 
it still came as something of a shock when, on the first day of his 
Presidency, Donald Trump decided to issue a blanket pardon for those 
who had been convicted of the January 6 riot that took place in this 
building.
  For those of us who were physically present, it is a moment we will 
never forget. The Vice President of the United States was sitting in 
the Presiding Officer's chair, presiding over the U.S. Senate as we 
addressed the constitutional responsibility of counting the electoral 
votes.
  It was roughly 10 minutes after 2 in the afternoon when someone came 
along in a suit, walked up to the Vice President of the United States, 
grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him off of the chair. Those of us 
who were here wondered what was going on. While we could hear the 
demonstrators outside, we didn't understand why the Vice President was 
being removed from this Chamber.
  A member of the Capitol Police then walked up to where the Presiding 
Officer is sitting and announced that this was going to be a safe room; 
yes, there were demonstrators outside, even some in the building, but 
stay here; the Senate Chamber will be a safe room; and be prepared for 
others to come into this safe room to avoid any conflict with the 
demonstrators.
  That instruction lasted for about 10 minutes, and then the same 
officer came up and stood before us and said: Change of plans. 
Everybody evacuate this room as quickly as possible.
  We all headed out that door, going to another building on Capitol 
Hill that we thought might be safer, away from the demonstrators.
  Think about that--the Capitol of the United States of America, taken 
over by demonstrators; the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives 
stopped in the progress of doing their constitutional responsibility of 
counting the electoral votes.
  We have seen the videotapes--oh, there are plenty of them--that show 
these mob demonstrators breaking the windows to get into the Capitol 
Building, knocking down the doors, and then beating up on the police 
officers.
  When the Presiding Officer and I came to work this morning, there 
were men and women--some in uniform, others in plainclothes--standing 
in the corridors of this building. Their responsibility is to keep us 
safe and to keep those who visit this Capitol safe. They are prepared--
many of them have to be prepared--to risk their lives to do it.
  To think what they went through on January 6 is outrageous. They were 
beaten up by these mobsters, these thugs, these demonstrators, who were 
egged on by the President of the United States to come up and go wild 
in the U.S. Capitol. Oh, they went wild, spraying bear spray into the 
faces of individual policemen, beating up on them with poles and pieces 
of furniture.
  Yes, it was a pretty wild occasion, and it was a criminal occasion. 
It led to the most extensive criminal prosecution in the history of our 
country. Some 1,600 people were prosecuted for their conduct on January 
6. And I will tell you, as someone who witnessed that and went through 
that experience, they deserved it. It just strikes me as outrageous.
  If you heard on the news this afternoon that the Houses of Parliament 
in London had been invaded by a mob that had beaten down the doors of 
the House of Commons and took control of it, you would have said: That 
is impossible. That doesn't happen in a civilized country like England.
  Well, it certainly shouldn't happen in the United States, and it did. 
I witnessed it.
  Then came the President of the United States on his first day in 
office, and what did he do? He decided that every single person 
arrested for a crime related to January 6 should be released with a 
full and unconditional pardon. And that is what he did.
  I asked my staff: Let's keep track of these people, see what happened 
to them. In the 3 weeks that have passed since the President made that 
decision, there are some interesting stories, sad stories.
  Emily Hernandez pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a 
restricted building or grounds in relation to her actions in the 
Capitol on January 6. Ms. Hernandez was seen holding a stolen, broken 
nameplate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She served 30 days in Federal 
prison and was released. Days after being pardoned by President Trump--
days after being pardoned by President Trump--she was sentenced to 10 
years in prison for a 2022 deadly drunk-driving crash in Missouri 
during which she collided with a couple--Victoria and Ryan Wilson--who 
had just left dinner, celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. 
Victoria died in the crash, and Ryan sustained serious injuries.
  Then there is Daniel Ball. Daniel Ball was arrested for throwing ``an 
explosive device'' that detonated on at least 25 officers and 
forcefully shoving police at the Capitol on January 6. Daniel Ball was 
in possession of a gun and ammunition as he came into the Capitol, 
which was illegal considering his criminal background. The Department 
of Justice dismissed Ball's charges following President Trump's pardon.
  I have a long list here, and I am not going to read them all, but 
there is one in particular, released with a full pardon by President 
Trump for the January 6 crimes he committed. Guy Reffitt, the first 
defendant to stand trial on charges related to the January 6 Capitol 
insurrection, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for bringing a 
firearm into the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
  Reffitt's 19-year-old son Jackson turned him into law enforcement 
after the attack. Jackson also indicated that Reffitt had threatened to 
shoot him and his sister Peyton if they reported him to authorities.
  After receiving a pardon from President Trump, Guy Reffitt attended 
Kash Patel's Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing. Kash Patel 
is President Trump's nominee to be the Director and head of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation. Reffitt attended that committee nomination, 
and here is what he posted on social media afterward.
  Remember: a man who is released after he was granted a full pardon, 
after he was convicted of bringing a firearm into the Capitol on 
January 6, 2021--certainly not a casual tourist by any means.
  Here is what he said on social media:

       Present and in support of Kash Patel as the leftist commies 
     continue to spew lies, misinformation, and disinformation. My 
     man, clean house Kash.

  So it certainly seems like he learned his lesson, right? He served 
time in jail and was released with pardon by the President. He is at it 
again, defying the authorities, defying anyone who disagrees with him 
politically--full, unconditional pardon from Donald Trump.
  The reason I wanted to make a note of Mr. Reffitt's history is that 
it is apropos of what I want to speak to this morning.

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