On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag – Germany’s Capitol building – was set on fire. Who was responsible remains in dispute even today. What is undisputed is that the Nazis, barely holding onto power in a coalition government – used the attack to besmirch their political opponents, consolidate their grip on the government, arrest hundreds of political opponents, and ultimately rescind the due process rights and fundamental freedoms of the German people.
It remains a cautionary tale, for obvious reasons.
The January 6th riot at the Capitol has become the centerpiece of the Democrats’ agenda. No other issue facing our country – not the worst inflation in 40 years, not the highest gasoline prices in history, not the fastest increase in homicides ever recorded, not the historically unprecedented illegal mass migration at our southern border – none of these crises has commanded prime time congressional hearings from the Democrats.
What happened here on January 6th was an affront to our Constitution and a national disgrace. Those who entered the Capitol with the intent to disrupt the counting of electoral votes deserve to be denounced by their fellow citizens and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
More importantly, questions involving the authority of Congress to refuse to count electoral votes, or why adequate security was not present to protect the Capitol, or whether there were conspiracies to break into the Capitol, are all important to fully resolve to assure that this never happens again.
What is unfolding instead is a sick mockery of the principles of fairness and due process that this House is founded upon. It promises to discredit these proceedings and to dishonor its participants.
Congress has a time-honored process to get at the truth. It guarantees the right of both sides to appoint their representatives, who then question and debate the facts, offer conflicting evidence, and hold an issue to every light. For the first time in the history of this institution, the Speaker arrogated to herself not only the selection of the majority members, but the minority members as well, thus assuring only one side – her side — would be heard.
Without having both sides represented, it becomes impossible to test the accuracy of facts, the truth of narratives and the soundness of opinions. And it robs the process of the credibility that is a necessary pre-requisite to legitimacy.
Instead of the sober inquiry that should have been undertaken a year and a half ago, we have a Soviet-style show-trial, all carefully choreographed by an ABC television producer.
To add hypocrisy to outrage, some of the speaker’s representatives played a crucial role in developing and fanning the Russia collusion hoax that groundlessly challenged the legitimacy of the Trump election and presidency. Some were themselves involved in challenging electoral votes counted after the 2016 election. Some were apologists for the violent riots that consumed this country in 2020. Some have been eerily silent as Supreme Court justices have been intimidated in their own homes.
The FBI thoroughly examined the riot last year and found no evidence that President Trump conspired with protesters to enter the Capitol. Nor have the Democrats offered any now. They instead repackage and rehash the snap impeachment trial in which the President was acquitted by the Senate.
Indeed, this committee knows, but has deceptively suppressed, the stunning fact that FOUR DAYS before the riot, President Trump offered the use of National Guard troops to keep the peace. The Democrat leadership turned it down. Do they really expect us to believe that the same guy who meticulously planned the riot also authorized the National Guard to prevent the riot? This is insane.
Insurrection? The constitutional process immediately resumed once these yay-hoos were kicked out of the building. Do the Democrats actually expect us to believe that some lunatic wearing buffalo horns was moments away from seizing control of our government? Their narrative cannot survive an open debate and the Democrats know it. That’s why they’re not permitting one.
Our institutions are strong because they are backed by the common sense of the American people. Our traditions of due process and fairness are too deeply engrained in the American character to succumb to this madness. After Americans have recorded THEIR verdict in the upcoming election, perhaps we can forge a bi-partisan consensus on the measures necessary to assure that the excesses of both January 6th AND the January 6th Committee never threaten us again.
Link to House Floor Remarks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R41pEuuukWg&t=6s