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Congressional Record—Senate S682 S682 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 12, 2021 silencing and banning the speech the The clerk will read it. made clear that these insurgents were majority does not agree with. It is The legislative clerk read the ques- planning to carry weapons, including about canceling 75 million Trump vot- tion as follows: guns, to target the Capitol itself. And ers and criminalizing political view- Isn’t it the case that the violent attack yet Donald Trump, from January 5 to points. and siege on the Capitol on January 6 would the morning of his speech, tweeted 34 That is what this trial is really not have happened if not for the conduct of times, urging his supporters to get about. It is the only existential issue President Trump? ready to stop the steal. before us. It asks for constitutional The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The He even, on the eve of the attack, cancel culture to take over in the House managers have up to 5 minutes. warned us that it was coming. He United States Senate. Mr. Manager CASTRO of Texas. Good warned us that thousands were de- Are we going to allow canceling and afternoon, everybody. To answer your scending into DC and would not take it banning and silencing to be sanctioned question very directly, Donald Trump anymore. in this body? assembled the mob. He assembled the When they got here at the Save To the Democrats, who view this as a mob, and he lit the flame. Everything America March, he told them again in moment of opportunity, I urge you in- that followed was because of his doing, that speech exactly what to do. His stead to look to the principles of free and although he could have imme- lawyer opened with: expression and free speech. I hope, diately and forcibly intervened to stop Let’s have trial by combat. truly, that the next time you are in the the violence, he never did. In other That was Rudy Giuliani. And Donald minority, you don’t find yourself in words, this violent, bloody insurrection Trump brought that message home. In this position. that occurred on January 6 would not fact, he praised Rudy Giuliani as a To the Republicans in this Chamber, have occurred but for President Trump. fighter, and President Trump used the I ask when you are next in the major- The evidence we presented in trial words ‘‘fight’’ or ‘‘fighting’’ 20 times in ity, please resist what will be an over- makes this absolutely clear. This at- that speech. whelming temptation to do this very tack, as we said, didn’t come from one Remember, you have just told these same thing to the opposing party. random speech, and it didn’t happen by people—these thousands of people— Members of the Senate, this con- accident, and that mob didn’t come out that somebody has stolen your elec- cludes the formal defense of the 45th of thin air. tion, your victory; you are not going to President of the United States to the Before the election, Donald Trump get the President that you love. Impeachment Article filed by the spread lie after lie about potential Senators, that is an incredibly com- House of Representatives. fraud—an election, remember, that bustible situation when people are I understand that there is a proce- hadn’t even happened yet. Months be- armed and they have been saying that dure in place for questions, and we fore the election took place, he was they are mad as hell and they are not await them; thereafter, we will close saying it was rigged and that it was going to take it anymore. on behalf of President Trump. going to be stolen. All of his supporters He looked out to a sea of thousands, Mr. President, we yield the balance believed that the only way he was some wearing body armor, helmets, of our time. going to lose is if the election was sto- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The holding sticks and flag poles, some of len, if the election was rigged. majority leader. And when he did lose, he spent week which they would later use to beat f after week inciting his supporters to Capitol Police; and he told them that they could play by different rules—play RECESS believe that their votes had been stolen by different rules. He even, at one Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask and that the election was fraudulent and it was their patriotic duty to fight point, quite literally, pointed to the unanimous consent that we take a 15- Capitol as he told them to ‘‘fight like minute recess. like hell to stop the steal and take their country back. hell.’’ There being no objection, at 3:16 After the attack, you know, we have p.m., the Senate, sitting as a Court of And, remember, this is in the United States, where our vote is our voice. shown clearly, well, that once the at- Impeachment, recessed until 3:54 p.m.; tack began, insurgent after insurgent whereupon the Senate reassembled You tell somebody that an election vic- tory is being stolen from them, that is made clear they were following the when called to order by the President President’s orders. You saw us present pro tempore. a combustible situation. And he gave them clear direction on that evidence of the insurgents who SENATORS’ QUESTIONS were there that day who said: I came The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The how to deal with that. For example, on December 19, 18 days because the President asked me to Senate will come to order. come. I was here at his invitation. You Pursuant to the provisions of S. Res. prior to January 6, President Trump told them how and where to fight for saw that of the folks that were in the 47, the Senate has provided 4 hours dur- Capitol that day. ing which Senators may submit ques- it. He first issued his call to action for January 6. This was a ‘‘save the date’’ The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The tions in writing directed either time has expired. through the managers on the part of sent 18 days before the event on Janu- ary 6, and it wasn’t just a casual one- Are there further questions? the House of Representatives or coun- Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President. sel for the former President. off reference or a singular invitation. For the next 18 days, he directed all The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does The majority leader. the Senator from South Carolina have Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask of the rage he had incited to January 6; a question? unanimous consent that the answers and that was, for him, what he saw as Mr. GRAHAM. Thank you very much, within the 4-hour question period be his last chance to stop the transfer of Mr. President. limited to 5 minutes each, and if the power, to stop from losing the Presi- I send a question to the desk on be- questions are directed to both parties, dency. And he said things like, ‘‘Fight half myself, Senators CRUZ, MARSHALL, the times be equally divided; further- to the death’’ and January 6 will be a and CRAMER to counsel. more, that questions alternate sides ‘‘wild’’ and ‘‘historic day.’’ And this The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Sen- proposing questions for as long as both was working. They got the message. ator GRAHAM, for himself, Senator sides have questions. In the days leading to the attack, re- CRUZ, Senator MARSHALL, and Senator The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- port after report, social media post CRAMER, submits a question to the out objection, it is so ordered. after social media post, confirmed that Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I send these insurgents were planning armed counsel for Donald Trump. a question to the desk. violence, but they were planning it be- The clerk will read the question. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The cause he had been priming them, be- The legislative clerk read as follows: Senator will submit it. cause he had been amping them up. Does a politician raising bail for rioters en- The question from Senator SCHUMER That is why they were planning it. courage more rioting? with Senator FEINSTEIN is directed to And these posts, confirmed by re- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Coun- the House managers. ports from the FBI and Capitol Police, sel has 5 minutes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Feb 13, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G12FE6.036 S12FEPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE February 12, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S683 Mr. Counsel CASTOR. Yes. Then it went up to Judge Stephanos to December 31; January 2, there is a The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does Bibas, who is a Trump appointee, who lot of interaction between the authori- counsel yield back the rest of their is part of the appeals court panel. He ties and getting folks to have security time? said: beforehand on the day. We have a tweet Mr. Counsel CASTOR. I do. The Campaign’s claims have no merit. The at 2:38, so it was certainly sometime The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Coun- number of ballots it specifically challenges before then. sel’s time is yielded back. is far smaller than the [roughly] 81,000-vote With the rush to bring this impeach- Are there other questions? margin of victory. And it never claims fraud ment, there has been absolutely no in- Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President. or that any votes were cast by illegal voters.
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