Rubén Gallego: “Today marks 5 years since January 6, the day a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn a free and…”

“Today marks 5 years since January 6, the day a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn a free and fair election and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. It was not a protest. It was not a misunderstanding. It was an assault on our democracy. I was there that day, as many of my colleagues were. I remember the pounding on the door of the House Chamber. I remember seeing staff stacking chairs against these doors to stop the mob from entering. I remember helping evacuate the floor as a mob was taking over the Capitol, and I remember looking around thinking about my family and whether we would make it out safely. That day left scars on this institution, on our democracy, and on the men and women who put themselves in harm's way to defend it. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps. I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and I know what it means to take that oath seriously, not just in uniform but in life, which is why I will be offering an amendment to the Defense appropriations bill to ensure that military funeral honors remain reserved for those who have defended the Constitution, not for those who have sought to overthrow it. Last year, the administration offered military honors for Ashli Babbitt. Ashli Babbitt was not a hero; she was part of the violent mob that tried to overturn our democracy. She ignored repeated lawful orders from Capitol Police.”