- January 28, 2025
Murray, Democrats Speak Out After Republicans Block Simple Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers
ICYMI: Schumer, Murphy, Kim Lead 47 Senators in Introducing Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers
Murray: “Trump is showing every day, with nearly every action—that he has zero regard for the laws of our country. From pardoning, en masse, violent insurrectionists, to illegally firing government watchdogs charged with holding him accountable, to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders, to asking OMB to halt funding Congress passed—something that is causing serious chaos and harm to red states and blue states alike.”
***VIDEO HERE of Senator Murray’s floor speech***
Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans senselessly blocked a one-line resolution offered by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and her Democratic colleagues that simply condemns the pardons of individuals found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers. After Republican John Barrasso (R-WY) blocked the resolution, Murray and Senate Democrats took to the Senate floor to speak out against Trump’s move to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to violent criminals who assaulted U.S. Capitol Police officers and call out Republicans for refusing to stand up for the Capitol Police who put their lives on the line—and suffered severe injuries—protecting senators’ lives on January 6th.
All 47 Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus are cosponsors of the resolution, which simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” A PDF of the resolution is HERE.
On the Senate floor today, Senator Murray made clear that the throughline of the first week of the Trump administration has been lawlessness—with Trump, “showing every day, with nearly every action, that he has zero regard for the laws of our country. From pardoning, en masse, violent insurrectionists, to illegally firing government watchdogs charged with holding him accountable, to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders, to asking OMB to HALT funding Congress passed— something that is now causing serious chaos and harm to red states and blue states.”
“I will not sit back and allow President Trump to rewrite the history of the January 6th insurrection,” Murray continued. “Officers here sacrificed tremendously to keep senators safe, Republicans and Democrats alike—and we have the footage, photos, and police reports that clearly show the crimes and the violence committed… President Trump’s decision to pardon, en masse, 1,500 people charged in the insurrection is a truly unthinkable attempt to erase the facts of that day, and undermine our democracy. But it is especially heinous that he chose to pardon individuals who violently attacked our Capitol Police officers… It is a betrayal of the law enforcement that protected us all that day and a dangerous endorsement of political violence—telling criminals that you can beat cops within an inch of their lives as long as it’s in service to Donald Trump.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in Court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves. During the siege of the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted.
Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:
“Mr. President, we are a week into the Trump Administration, and it can be summed up in one word: lawlessness. Trump is showing every day, with nearly every action, that he has zero regard for the laws of this country.
“From pardoning, en masse, violent insurrectionists, to illegally firing government watchdogs charged with holding him accountable, to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders, to asking OMB to halt funding Congress passed—something that is now causing serious chaos and harm to red states and blue states.
“We are not going to let his strategy of overwhelming chaos win the day. We are fighting each of the actions, and will not stop asserting our power as an equal branch of the government.
“But right now, today, we are going to focus on one issue in particular—one that is not just alarming, but actually personal to all of us here in the Senate, because it concerns the Capitol Police each of us walk by every single day.
“I have made it clear, I will not sit back and allow President Trump to rewrite the history of the January 6th insurrection. Already, his Justice Department has taken down the public database that laid out the thousands of investigations—he is literally trying to erase the evidence from public memory!
“But no President can rewrite history—not unless we stand by and let him. And that is absolutely not going to happen. We will not forget what really happened here on January 6th, 2021.
“As we all remember, as the American people witnessed in real time, armed insurrectionists—egged on by the sitting president—broke into the U.S. Capitol and violently assaulted Capitol Police officers in their attempt to overturn a free and fair election.
“You do not have to take my word for it—though, like many of my colleagues, I have a first-person account of that day. The reality is well documented in videos, in photos, in case documents from thousands of people charged with felonies after that day—including assault.
“We know, as a matter of fact, some insurrectionists brought knives, tasers, axes, hatchets, pepper spray, zip ties and more.
“We know, as a matter of fact, some assaulted officers with flagpoles, stun guns, fire extinguishers, and bear spray.
“We know as a matter of fact, that Capitol Police officers suffered severe injuries as a result—including cracked ribs, smashed spinal disks, brain injuries, and even the loss of an eye.
“Officers here sacrificed tremendously to keep senators safe, Republicans and Democrats alike—and we have the footage, photos, police reports that clearly show the crimes and the violence that was committed.
“So Mr. President, President Trump’s decision to pardon—en masse—1,500 people charged in the insurrection is truly an unthinkable attempt to erase the facts of that day, and undermine our democracy.
“But it is especially heinous that he chose to pardon individuals who violently attacked our Capitol Police officers. Not to mention commuting the sentences of 14 others: people found guilty of seditious conspiracy, people like Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers.
“It is a betrayal of the law enforcement that protected all of that day, and a dangerous endorsement of political violence—telling criminals that you can beat cops within an inch of their lives as long as it’s in service to Donald Trump.
“Every one of us here owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our Capitol Police. They protected our lives, and they protected our democracy. That is why we are here today to pass a resolution today, that makes clear the U.S. Senate stands with our Capitol Police officers—by disapproving the pardon of those who violently attacked the officers who keep us safe.
“It is a very simple, modest resolution—its reads, in its entirety: ‘Resolved: that the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.’
“It is that simple. We aren’t relitigating every case—this is only about people guilty of assaulting Capitol Police.
“I made sure this was short and clear—something we can pass unanimously. Because a message like this really should be unanimous.
“In fact, Mr. President, just to underscore how straightforward this is—I want to read it in its entirety once again: ‘Resolved: that the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.’
“That’s it. The entire thing. I don’t really think there is anything here for anyone to disagree with.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, after Republicans blocked the resolution:
“Mr. President, I am deeply frustrated that is the response we got today. We cannot agree on something as simple as standing by the officers who keep this building safe?! Officers every one of us walk by every day?
“There are officers standing just outside the floor right now keeping watch as we are forced to debate whether it was not was okay to pardon the people that violently attacked them.
“I don’t know how my colleagues who oppose this simple resolution can look them in the eye!
“It is insulting enough that Speaker Johnson—someone who has a dedicated, 24/7 detail—has refused to put up the plaque honoring the brave officers who kept us safe four years ago.
“But the fact we can’t pass a resolution as simple as the one I presented today—the fact we can’t all agree that we should side with the people who keep us safe, over the people who are attacking us, is disgraceful.
“It is unworthy of this body, and unworthy of the sacrifice our Capitol Police have demonstrated time and again. We owe them better.
“I will not going to stop pushing to make sure we show them we understand that.
“The President may be able to grant pardons, commute sentences, release criminals, delete databases… but I will tell you here, he can take no action he takes can erase the past, unless we let him.
“And as long as I can stand, as long as I can speak, as long as I am here—I will not let him, or anyone, rewrite the history of the January 6th insurrection or erase the important lessons that we must learn from it.”
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