Durbin, Duckworth Join Introduction Of Resolution Condemning Pardons Of Individuals Found Guilty Of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers On January 6

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joinedU.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Andy Kim (D-NJ), as well as 40 of their colleagues in the Senate, in introducing a newresolutioncondemning President Donald Trump’s pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers.  The resolution follows the move by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias.  Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pled guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th.During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as more than 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
The Senators’ resolution,Condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers,simply states:“Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons forindividuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.”
This week, Murray will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
“On January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump-inspired insurrectionists descended on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election, wielding unspeakable violence against law enforcement officers.  A ‘full, complete, and unconditional’ pardon dishonors the lives of the five law enforcement officers who died as a result of this day, as well as those who are left with life-altering injuries inflicted by these thugs,”said Durbin.“This resolution ensures that what truly happened that day – the violent, egregious assault on law enforcement officers and the undermining of a Constitutional proceeding – will not be forgotten, even if President Trump has tried to absolve insurrectionists of their crimes.”
“On day one in office—after years of pushing the false narrative that Democrats are ‘soft on crime’ and Republicans truly ‘back the blue’— Donald Trump pardoned over 1,500 violent insurrectionists who assaulted law enforcement officers and stormed our nation’s Capitol in an effort to overturn a free and fair election,”said Duckworth.“Not only are these pardons a gross endorsement of political violence, they’re also an insult to the heroic law enforcement officers who defended our democracy and those who died as a result of that fateful day.  If Republicans really cared about upholding democracy and the rule of law, then they’d join us in supporting this simple resolution to condemn President Trump’s pardons.”
In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, Murray, Schumer, Murphy, and Kim, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) also cosponsored the resolution.  In total, 46 senators signed onto the resolution.
A PDF of the resolution isHERE.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.  This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.  As proven in Court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
Last week, Durbin delivered aspeechon the Senate floor further denouncing President Trump’s decision to pardon the violent insurrectionists.
Among others, the individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers and were granted full, unconditional pardons by President Trump last week include:
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