ANNIVERSARY OF JANUARY 6

On 2026-01-06, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) delivered a floor speech titled "ANNIVERSARY OF JANUARY 6" in the Senate. The speech addressed taxes and also covered foreign policy, defense. It referenced legislation including S52, S53.

ANNIVERSARY OF JANUARY 6

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S52-S53] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ANNIVERSARY OF JANUARY 6 Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. President, 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. She pushed to the front of the crowd. She helped to smash a window into the Speaker's Lobby and attempted to force her way through a barricaded door while she was armed [[Page S53]] with a weapon. She did not die defending her country; she died trying to tear it down. Military funerals are sacred. They are reserved for those who upheld their oaths, who defended the Constitution and the rule of law. To grant those honors to someone who participated in an attack on this Capitol would dishonor every servicemember who actually served to uphold that oath. I have seen real sacrifice. I have buried marines who gave their lives in protecting others. That is honor. Those who serve are expected to uphold military standards even after they leave service. When you violate the law and betray your oath, you forfeit the privilege of having military honors. If we equate the January 6 insurrection with genuine sacrifice, we cheapen everything our servicemembers have done in the defense of this country. We erode trust in our military, and we feed the dangerous lie that January 6 was anything other than a betrayal of our democracy. Taxpayer money should not be used to provide a military funeral to someone who took part in an attack on this Capitol. This is about accountability. It is about honoring those who have truly served with integrity, and it is about making clear, 5 years later, that we will not rewrite the history of January 6. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to remember the men and women who have defended this country honorably--those who upheld their oaths, who protected our democracy--and those who continue to serve with courage and sacrifice. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware. ____________________