Rep. Balint highlights January 6 in response to Speaker Johnson’s Capitol Protest criticism
House Speaker Johnson (R-La.) held a press conference yesterday, condemning lawmakers who protested at his office and calling AOC and Bernie Sanders the “true leaders” of the Democratic Party.
“A few members of Congress went into the little foyer of my office and tore down a sign that I had up and just engaged in all sorts of political stunts and antics” said Speaker Johnson in a Press conference yesterday evening where he accused Democrats of a broader disdain for law enforcement.
“They’ve been doing that every day now, and it shows their desperation,” Johnson continued. “It also shows a very dangerous trend that we’ve seen all across the country, where the left is now embracing violence as a political tool. And that’s something that we cannot tolerate. We have to stand up against it. We have to make sure that our law enforcement officers are respected, that they’re protected, and that they’re able to do their jobs without fear of retribution or violence.”
In post on social media, yesterday (10/17), Representative Becca Balint, D-Vt., drew attention to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as a counterpoint to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s recent criticism of a Capitol protest.
In response, Rep. Balint shared an image from the January 6 riot, where thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, challenging the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. Her post read, “OMG @SpeakerJohnson, wait til you hear about January 6th!” with a photo of the chaotic scene.
Part of this controversy includes Rep.- elect Adelina Grijalva, D-Az, who was recently elected I Arizona, securing the congressional seat left vacant by her father’s death, cutting down on republicans’ razor-thin House majority.
Rep. Becca Balint claimed on social media, yesterday (10/16) that Speaker Johnson is making it difficult to quickly swear in Grijalva, saying “he has sworn in Republicans in pro forma sessions. He has made sure that they are seated immediately..And it should not be up to the Speaker of the House to decide which congressional district has representation…do the work, and he needs to stop with the phony excuses.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., joined arms and chanted “swear her in” with Reps. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., as well as Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., as they marched on Johnson’s office with members of their staff.
Johnson’s press conference continued with criticisms of the Democrats antics, claiming Rep. Alexandria Oracio-Cortez, D-Ny, and Senator Bernie Sanders are ‘the real leaders of the Democratic Party.”
“CNN hosts the first socialist town hall, where Bernie Sanders and AOC said the quiet parts out loud,” said Johnson. They don’t know what they want to end the shutdown…They couldn’t provide a single viable solution for the mess that they themselves have gleefully created…And by the way, those are the real leaders of the Democratic Party, AOC and Bernie. Good luck with that.”
Speaker Johnson mentions the government shutdown, which began after Senate Democrats rejected a Republican continuing resolution (CR) funding bill for the tenth time because of demand to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end. This is a move Republicans label as excessive spending, including aid for undocumented immigrants. Federal workers remain unpaid as the ongoing shutdown continues.