On the recordJanuary 25, 2021
it is good to see the Senator from Hawaii as the Presiding Officer. Madam President, I rise today to honor workers in this building-- something that Senator Hirono does every day of her life in this job-- workers in this building who are too often overlooked but whose work is essential to the functioning of our government: our Capitol custodial staff. In the days after the January 6 insurrection, when domestic terrorists stormed this building, we rightly honored Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman and many other Capitol police officers who put their lives on the line to protect all of us, to protect our democratic process, and, essentially, to protect our democracy. Last week, I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing legislation to award Officer Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal. He and others may well have saved our lives and protected our democracy. They did it without the support they needed from their leadership. They did it without the support from the Trump White House on down. But those officers aren't the only ones who deserve our honor and our gratitude. They are not the only ones who put their lives on the line serving our country on January 6 or over the past year during this pandemic. Every day, Capitol custodial staff do their jobs with skill, dedication, and dignity.…





