Sue Myrick: “this past July, the United States Congress and our entire nation were gripped by a terrible tragedy, the deaths of the…”

“this past July, the United States Congress and our entire nation were gripped by a terrible tragedy, the deaths of the Capitol Police Officers Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson. Officers Chestnut and Gibson gave their lives defending the United States Capitol, all of us who work in this complex and the American people who visit it to see their democracy in action. They died heroically while defending our democracy. The outpouring of affection and gratitude for these two men was as deep and genuine as any I have witnessed, and I am certain that the many tributes to them served as a comfort to their families. Of course, no words or tributes can replace their loss. In the aftermath of this tragedy and the heartfelt sympathy of the American people, we in this body were briefly changed. We came together as one family to pay our respects, to reflect on the almost surreal tragedy of that July afternoon and, for a time, respect, civility and comity ruled the day.”