McGovern: ‘Legitimate political discourse? They had lead pipes and guns.’
Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, issued a sharp rebuke on the House floor to Republicans for calling the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol “legitimate political discourse.” McGovern was presiding over the House when the chamber was evacuated on January 6th and was one of the last members off the floor that day.
Mr. Speaker, some say that time heals all wounds.
And in the hours right after the January 6th attack, I was hopeful that with time, America might begin to heal, too.
…that in the wake of such a dastardly attack on our democracy, Republicans would recoil in disgust at what they had created.
…that after the President of the United States whipped a violent mob into a frenzy and sent them here to attack Congress, they might finally say “enough is enough.”
That didn’t happen. And it’s not going to.
The Republican National Committee just called January 6th, and I quote, “legitimate political discourse.”
Legitimate political discourse? They had lead pipes and guns. They destroyed property and beat cops.
Give me a break! Sadly, this is just their latest attempt to rewrite history.
Last year, they called January 6th, and I quote, “a normal tourist visit.”
They continue obstructing the January 6th Select Committee. They continue spreading the big lie that the election was stolen—despite overwhelming, incontrovertible evidence it wasn’t. The former president promised to pardon those who engaged in violence if he assumes office again.
This week we learned that he considered using the military to seize ballot boxes… Now there’s a sentence that sends a chill down my spine.
You know, I credit Leader McConnell who rebuked his party this week. He said January 6th was, quote, “a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.” But he’s the exception. For a majority of Republicans, things haven’t changed. They’ve stayed the same: stuck in a Q-Anon fever dream, waiting at the beck-and-call of a twice-impeached ex-president who’s spent his retirement shredding evidence at Mar-a-Lago.
Time has not stiffened their spines; It hasn’t jolted them into reality or brought us together like we were in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
January 6th hasn’t become a turning point. Instead, it’s become a talking point.
This is the new Republican reality. To gain support from the ex-president, you have to repeat a lie: that the election was stolen. And to maintain the support of the Republican party, you have to repeat another lie: that January 6th wasn’t a violent uprising against America.
There’s a word for that, Mr. Speaker. It’s called fascism.
It’s a jarring word. One I don’t use lightly. So, let me be clear exactly how I mean it: Fascism isn’t about a particular set of beliefs or political ideology. It’s about power, and the lengths to which some people will go to acquire and retain it.
For decades, America fought against fascism. But today, a growing movement here at home seeks to upend norms, settle disagreement with violence, and silence the truth.
“Free societies,” American philosopher Jason Stanley says, “require truth. And so to smash freedom, you must smash truth.”
So let me say this plainly: The election was not stolen. Trump-appointed judges say it was not stolen. Republican-led investigations say it was not stolen. Republican officials responsible for counting votes say it wasn’t stolen. And if you’re an elected official and you continue smashing the truth, even after all we have learned about what happened on January 6th—you are supporting fascism.
What’s happening is not new. Even the earliest philosophers saw that democracies are particularly susceptible to tyranny. There’s no reason to believe it can’t happen here. What is special about America isn’t the strength of our institutions alone. It is the strength and courage of the people willing to stand up and fight for them.
That’s why I’m glad the January 6th Select Committee is doing its work; I’m grateful President Biden isn’t falling for false claims of executive privilege by the ex-president designed to cover up what went on; And I’m proud of the people who keep showing up, day-in and day-out, despite going through hell that day.
From congressional staff to the administrative staff to the cafeteria workers to cleaning crews, to the Capitol Police, each of you is playing a vital role in defending our democracy.
But make no mistake, we are standing on the precipice.
When we spend hours and hours debating whether state legislatures should be allowed to nullify ballots; When politicians call an attempt to violently overthrow the United States Government, “legitimate political discourse;” We are in a dangerous spot.
The insurrection, conspiracy theories, the Big Lie, voter suppression: they’re all branches on the same tree. And at the root of all of it is power.
I don’t have a magic wand to make it better. I have a warning: Time won’t heal our wounds or rein in fascism in America. That’s why we must demand the truth.
If we don’t, the people who are trying to normalize what happened on January 6th won’t be dismissed. They’ll be empowered.
God help us all, and God help the United States of America if that happens.
