Washington’s congressional delegation safe but appalled by today’s storming of Capitol
Pierce County’s and Washington state’s congressional delegation reacted Wednesday after hundreds of people who support President Trump forced their way into the U.S. Capitol building during the certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
The joint session of congress was halted, and U.S. Capitol Police put the complex on lockdown.
Photos and video from the scene showed unprecedented images of capitol police with guns drawn on protesters as they tried to break into the House chamber. Other images showed people occupying congressional offices.
Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Democrat representing portions of Tacoma along with the Olympic Peninsula, was sheltering in place by himself inside the Capitol complex when reached by The News Tribune several hours after the lockdown went into effect.
“It’s shocking,” Kilmer said. “I find it repugnant to my sensibilities to see, I think, an abuse of the people’s house.”
Despite the setback, democracy will continue, Kilmer said.
“This is not going to get in the way of the will of the voters,” Kilmer said. “This is not how our system works. We don’t get bullied by angry people who lost elections. Order will be restored. And then the work will continue to follow the will of the American people.”
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, representing Olympia and portions of Thurston, Pierce, and Mason counties, tweeted she was sheltering in place.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out. I am sheltering in place within the Capitol complex and am grateful to the brave men and women officers protecting us and our democracy,” tweeted Strickland, a Democrat and Tacoma’s former mayor.
Strickland’s press contact confirmed in an email to The News Tribune on Wednesday that staff were under lockdown.
U.S. senator Patty Murray condemned the violence.
Congresswoman Kim Schrier, a Democrat, tweeted that she was safe following the takeover and expressed frustration that President Trump has not stepped in to end the situation.
Rep. Adam Smith, representing Washington State’s 9th District including parts of Tacoma in the south and Bellevue in the north, demanded the actions to stop on Twitter.
“My staff and I are safe. This attempted coup and domestic terrorist attack needs to end immediately,” tweeted Smith, a Democrat.
A spokesperson for Senator Maria Cantwell’s office told The News Tribune via email that “Senator Cantwell and staff are safe.”
Kilmer said Wednesday started out normally, other than a couple of bomb threats at nearby office buildings.
“I started my day, reaching out to my family,” Kilmer said. “Just to let them know, there may be disturbing things on TV today but not to worry, because we’re in really secure buildings.”
Kilmer was not in the House chambers when the mob stormed the complex. He called the events “a dark day for our republic.”
Kilmer noted that a Confederate flag was carried to the door outside the Senate chamber Wednesday.
“That didn’t happen during the Civil War,” Kilmer said. “But that happened in 2021.”
Kilmer laid the blame for Wednesday’s events at Trump’s feet.
“This is yet another dark chapter in a dark presidency,” Kilmer said. “And this is an episode that he owns. He riled them up. He gave him false information. And in my view, it is his responsibility to end this.”
Rep. Pramilla Jayapal, representing parts of Seattle and King County, was shown on video taking shelter in the gallery above the House floor.
“We pulled out gas masks and had to get down on the ground,” Jayapal tweeted. “Capitol police barricaded the doors and had guns drawn.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Washington’s congressional delegation safe but appalled by today’s storming of Capitol."
