Dozens of lawmakers had been trapped within the Home gallery through the rebel after most of their colleagues had been evacuated.
WASHINGTON — Round three dozen Democrats had been trapped within the Home gallery on Jan. 6 after the remainder of their colleagues had been evacuated, ducking beneath their seats as supporters of then-President Donald Trump laid siege.
The rebel interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. The Democrats had been unable to depart as rioters surrounded the chamber and tried to beat down the doorways.
Capitol Police ultimately evacuated the group unhurt, and Congress resumed the electoral depend that night. However many say the trauma of the expertise lingers.
In interviews with The Related Press, 10 of the lawmakers who had been there described their experiences within the Home gallery and the aftermath:
Vermont Rep. Peter Welch, who was posting video updates to Twitter:
“A police officer got here to the ground and informed us the Capitol had been breached and to get out the gasoline masks. In my time in Congress, I’ve by no means, ever heard anybody apart from a member or a clerk communicate (from the podium). To have a Capitol Police officer was gorgeous. … It was so uncommon that I started to do some recording of what was taking place. And it was partly a method of recording it, partly a method of simply giving myself one thing to do once I was fairly scared about what was happening, and what is going on to occur right here. And that video mirrored the sobriety of the second and simply the uncertainty that each one of us had been going through.”
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the Choose Committee to Examine the January sixth Assault on the USA Capitol:
“I didn’t fairly know precisely the seriousness of it till I bought a name from my spouse, who mentioned, ‘The place are you?’ I mentioned, ‘I’m within the Capitol.’ She mentioned, ‘Do not you realize they’re breaking in?’ So you realize, once more, it doesn’t register. I mentioned, ‘You’ll be able to’t break in. I imply, there’s police and barricades and quite a lot of issues on the market.’ She mentioned, ‘However I’m watching folks climbing over the wall proper now, breaking into the Capitol.’ And about that point, someone mentioned, ‘Placed on the gasoline masks.’”
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who was recovering from knee substitute surgical procedure:
“It was terrifying. Any individual (within the gallery) was saying, ‘Do you have got a key? Does anyone have a key to the doorways?’ As a result of we didn’t know if the doorways might be locked. And so I used to be centered on planning my escape if I needed to get out. I had stretched out on the bottom as a result of I couldn’t bend my knee. I’m not even certain how I bought from the chair to the bottom — I feel I rolled — and so I used to be stretched out, and I had my gasoline masks in a single hand and my cane within the different hand. … I wasn’t certain I may stand up off the ground, however I had a complete plan that I used to be going to whack an insurrectionist within the knee with the gasoline masks after which whack them within the different knee with the cane. That’s what I used to be involved about is, you realize, had been we going to get out? Had been we going to outlive? Had been they going to return after us?”
Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former Military Ranger who served three excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan:
“So I began to form of view this in a tactical method. You should get everybody collectively, have to get in a defensive place. You don’t need folks unfold out. You don’t need folks to have the ability to be pulled away from a mob — it’s essential get in a decent group. In order we had been shifting to try this, I heard the gunshot (that killed Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter). And naturally I’ve heard quite a lot of gunshots in my time, and it was very clear what that was. And it got here from the Speaker’s Foyer, which informed me — I didn’t know whether or not it was an officer or a member of the mob, however I knew that issues had severely escalated. … It additionally informed me that we had been completely surrounded.”
Florida Rep. Val Demings, former chief of the Orlando Police Division:
“My police profession flashed by way of my thoughts as a result of I got here from a job the place I went to work on daily basis considering I may not make it again residence. I used to tidy up my house or my home earlier than I went to work, considering, OK, if I’m killed immediately, then I don’t need my co-workers coming into my home to get my gear and see all of it. And so to be there in that second and considering — actually within the midst of full chaos — I reserved myself to the truth that, yeah, I may die immediately. However I’m similar to a cop. I’m right here doing the proper factor, defending and serving my nation by being right here for this course of, a peaceable switch of energy.”
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes:
“We most likely didn’t totally admire how violent it had gotten till the Capitol Police began shifting furnishings in entrance of the principle door there. … On this world of large safety equipment, it’s going to be a Nineteenth-century desk in entrance of a door that saves my life? Are you freaking kidding me? And, I imply, critically — I sat there considering, oh, my God, you realize, we spend billions and billions of {dollars} on satellites and weapons and weapons and plane carriers and synthetic intelligence. It’s gonna be a freaking desk that saves my life?”
California Rep. Norma Torres:
“I actually thought, we’re not going to be evacuated. We’re going to die right here. And, you realize, by way of that course of — I feel lots about it now, (Democrats’) plus three majority … They might at any level take any three members both hostage or kill any three members, and that will have prevented us from certifying the election.”
New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster:
“Actually, we thought we had been being chased (as we had been evacuating). And my son known as proper in the course of it as we’re operating by way of the tunnels, and he says, ‘Mother! Mother!’ — he’s watching on tv. And I mentioned, ‘I’m alive, honey, I can’t discuss proper now, we’re operating for our lives. I’ll name you proper again. However I’m gonna be OK.'”
New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot:
“I keep in mind the hallways had been quiet (after we had been evacuating). I used to be listening so rigorously as a result of I used to be so afraid that we might flip a nook and there can be the rioters … rigorously form of trying round corners as we’re making an attempt to egress the constructing. And listening so rigorously to listen to — is there anyone forward of us? Is that this a secure hallway? Has this been secured?”
Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley:
“We’ve been informed in our safety briefings that the threats have quadrupled. They know who we’re. Our addresses are public document. All of us go to public occasions every day within the district. … I feel there’s a way that, if they need you, they’ll get you. However it’s important to do the work, proper? … We had to return and vote that night time as a result of you possibly can’t let these folks win. You’ll be able to’t be afraid. I don’t need any of them to suppose I’m afraid. We’re going to proceed to operate. In the event that they wish to commit acts of terrorism, I simply — I can’t let that deter us.”
