WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — South Carolina's Congressional contingent have released statements pertaining to the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.
WLTX reached out to all of the contingent and heard back from some and some posted on social media.
Rep. Joe Wilson declined, no word from Sen. Scott, Rep. Duncan, Rep. Norman, or Rep. Rice.
US Representative Jim Clyburn, the Democrat majority whip, said in his statement on the incident:
“President Franklin D. Roosevelt rightly stated that December 7, 1941 would ‘live in infamy.’ Similarly, January 6, 2021 will forever be known as a day of discredit and disgrace.
"Although the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack is doing great work to get to the bottom of what happened on that day, it will take the collective will of all of us to ensure that our pursuit of a perfect union continues with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
(Note the following videos are from Jan. 6, 2021)
US Senator Lindsey Graham issued a statement regarding the anniversary of the January 6, 2021, insurrection without naming former president Donald Trump. Instead, Graham took the time to take a partisan shot at the current administration.
Graham's Jan. 6, 2022, statement in full:
“I still cannot believe that a mob was able to take over the United States Capitol during such a pivotal moment – certifying a presidential election. It would have been so easy for terrorists to boot strap onto this protest and wreak even further destruction on the U.S. Capitol. Regardless of the reason for the assault on the Capitol, to lose control in such a fashion twenty years after 9/11 is stunning.
“Those who defiled the Capitol on January 6 are being prosecuted, as they should be. I have consistently condemned the attack and have urged that those involved be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hold the same views of those who attacked the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon and committed other acts of violence throughout our nation.
“Those responsible for Capitol security, including our political leaders, must also be held accountable. We still do not know who planted the pipe bombs on Capitol Hill the night of January 5. We still do not know why our Capitol was not adequately defended before President Trump spoke.
“We owe a great debt of gratitude and appreciation to the Capitol Police officers who bravely risked their lives to protect the Capitol. They were placed in a terrible position, without adequate reinforcements, but did their best to protect an overwhelmed Capitol.
“Finally, President Biden and Vice President Harris’s speeches today were an effort to resurrect a failed presidency more than marking the anniversary of a dark day in American history. Their brazen attempts to use January 6 to support radical election reform and changing the rules of the Senate to accomplish this goal, will not succeed. The so-called voting rights acts they are pushing are a liberal Democrat federal takeover of our election systems which constitutionally reside with the states.
“The Biden Presidency, one year after January 6, is in free fall not because of the attack on our Capitol, but because of failed policies and weak leadership. The Biden Administration seems to be incapable of dealing with the challenges America faces, and their efforts to politicize January 6 will fall flat.”
As the events of January 6 were unfolding, as the mob entered the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Graham was calling for Capitol Police to use force to turn back those who had entered the building.
He later voted to affirm Joe Biden as the "legitimate president of the United States" on the Senate floor.
So far, ten South Carolinians have been arrested and prosecuted for their part in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Congressman William Timmons issued a statement on Twitter. He begins, " I condemned the violence that happened on January 6, 2021 and I still do today--just as I condemned the violence we saw across the nation in 2020, which seems to have been wildly by the media. Violence is never the answer in a nation that is founded on law and order. The bravery of our Capitol Police force in the face of the unknown cannot be overstated, and I am incredibly grateful to these courageous men and women for their heroism on that day." You can read the full text of his tweet below.
Rep. Nancy Mace only reference to the riots at the Capitol on the one year anniversary was this tweet about Officer Goodman's heroism in light of the rioters entering the Capitol.