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>> and on the senate floor, democrats reacted to california senator alex padilla, being forcibly removed from a press office featuring dhs secretary molotov cocktail mechanism if humans ago that of any other taken to my stomach. you senator being manhandled we now know by federal agents dragged out of the hearing room and out as a second video that is even worse is been flown to the ground and again manhandled, brutally taken down. handcuffed and just discussing anybody looks at it, turns anyone who looks at this level turned their stomach, look at this video and see what happened weeks, weeks of totalitarianism and this is not with democracies do. senator padilla, he was there intimately in the building, to

ask questions of what is going on in california which everybody wants to know answers and we do not get answers many eseon administration questions in my way or another so senator padilla was exercising his duty as a senator, for his consist was to try to find out what happened. as any guess manhandled in front of the room and thrown on the ground and handcuffed braided we need a full investigation immediately as to what happened. and who did what pretty was going to be done to see that this does not happen again. andek to senator alex padilla or other american citizens are speaking the rights to this. and it's despicable discussing and it is so un-american, so un-american that we need answers immediately. i yield the floor. >> new mexico. >> mr. president i recognize the

senator from new mexico. >> the american people right now i'm just starting to see what happened to the united states senator from california come the senior senator fromr california alex padilla. he said at a press conference california the secretary of homelandcu security is any wantd to ask questions. and i don't know what happened by federal agents took him down. took down the united states senator, they were doing their job.b. why aren't more people down here speaking up about this nonsenseo this is ridiculous read and not probably get tossup right now going up in small farming cleaning of our, my dad taught me how to take a shovel to all the stuff they came out of the animals and you know what that is called. i know what is called in some of

the animals that were males and bowls in the stuff they came out of them has a few names to it predict i'll call it menu or today of this is nonsense and this is awful pretty federal agents get away with this, president of the united states to go down start arresting the senators, taking them down to the floor, is that what we have come to come the executive branch, doing this to our colleagues. this is a democrat and what happens when it happens to a republican, will i hear from my republican colleagues that comes to say no, we should not do this mr. president, that backup your wrong and somebody here are the backbone coming tell the president of the united states, you cross the line, stop it. and i'm so disappointed i am so disappointed and as a latino

united states senator, for this to happen to another hispanic here, there are several of are hispanic democrats and republicans, speak up and when my predecessors was here dennis travis, there were places he could not eat in the sale because of the color of his skin because he was from a state called new mexico number going to use our voices. are we better than this in the united states of america or we will show ther folks into the world f that you can do this to the people that were duly elected by people know just go arrest them and throw them down to the patient them like garbage pretty we are better than this in america you'll we have to speak up. i hope i denied that every democrat and republican member of this body, has the courage to say something this is not too far. and it is not right and i yield back.

>> the floor to say extremely outraged that thebr executive branch security team sws senator out of the room. and as proceeded to put that you senator on the ground and handcuffed in an think of the center expect to see the authoritarian nations they cannot tolerate question and they start to attack the institutions will receive the u.s. right now we see in the form of thede president roughly breaking the law of the rules controlling the executive branch time and time again. and we see it in the attack on the press the attack on the university and his attack on extorting law firms and we see it in the form is using trump versus united states lawsuit to say on the present about a lot and again to be a party to the whole executive matches above the law and that is not the way

i worked in a republic. at least at least if we are a republican subway works and if we if we through congress any combination of the differential supreme court sign into this authoritarian state, and we filled our up to the constitution and it isol absolutely wrong 50 year olds senator attempting to ask a question be treated in this fashion predict in a t double dn on the call leader schumer and full bipartisan investigation because all the members have taken an oath to the constitution and all of us should stand up for each other and certainlyli our ability to export policies of this administration. >> thank you.

>> mr. president. >> sooner from new jersey. >> i never thought that it imagine having to stand here and discuss what i saw today. a united states senator, in his own community, and the city in which he grew up, elected for the people, stepping forward to get answers through genitive mid questions and we see him being front of the ground after being removed it may room forcibly and put into handcuffs pretty multiple people. in this to me is such an abuse of authority and it is a violent

act and there can be no justification a senior senator force to the knees, they floated around their hands twisted behind back and being put into restraints. and if you see video at that point, he is not fighting aesop pushing. but this is a pattern in a practice, not an isolated incident and i remind the in my own community, in the city of new york you, we had a congresswomanma and mayor at a facility in the mayor invited into the gates the congresspeople invited into a conference room in the mayor asked to leave and then who did leave and then numerous agents

run out to our estimator another judges case that it was outrageous and reprimanded the trump administration for the rest in and of itself, we see time and time again with this administration, trying to precipitate a response of the misuse the abuse of force. is more akin to a authoritarian government, when you see democratic nation having their executive begin to arrest mayors and begin to arrest judges and began to arrest united states senator simply asking for answers to the questions emma to remove them from thehr room forcibly, to throw them to the ground and to put them in

restraints. this is something that we should not tolerate but we, this is not an arrest and republicans, this is week in this body. we have a constitutional obligation to provide oversight to the executive and the constitutional obligation to ask questions and make inquiries an constitutional obligation check and balance the authority of the executive and so here we saw before our eyes senator in the district and say asking questions being shut out of the room but it did not stop there jumping around on his belly have his arms pull behind his back should outraged every united states senator and outrage every

united states and i would like you before my colleague think a gentleman feeling. >> we really for question. >> yes, i will yield to a question with obtaining the rights of the four. >> thank you and just watched footage ofta her calling my california colleague senator alex padilla, being forcibly removed from a breaking by the secretary of homeland security step anyone there to observe and to ask questions predict i watched with horror, this video seen these agents grab my calling, grabbed him and push him out of the hearing team is identifying him self as a year olds senator bringing him down

to the ground his arms behind his back. and i saw this happen to my colleague and talk by how far we have descended in the first 140 days of this administration but wesi have a president calling ot the military the objection of the governor to try to intimidate and interfere with law enforcement in california calling out the marines to try to inflame tensions in our city now the latest act year olds senator goes to the mid questions about the lawfulness or lawlessness of these actions to see him tackled to the ground ground what is becoming up our democracy and are there no limits with thison administratin will do is there no line that

they will not cross. missy lawlessness after lawlessness nyc threats to judges of impeachment of physical harm. zero-sum members of congress and now this. thomas f of this a generation since world war ii that was used to see our freedoms spanning was almost coming down sunday democracies being born became think that somehow this was inevitable laws of nature like the moral active universe towards justice. only to see that it was not ending towards justice and see this now and home. the see it united states of america the executive use force like this against a member of a

coequal branch of government to see that is come to this already not yet my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, no whisper of decent young to help out changes of the changes founders separated the powers between the executive and legislative judiciary because they wanted to set an admission against ambition of one institution against another to protect all of our freedom of that requires we go beyond the partisan affiliations and when something is wrong, dead wrong when something is a threat to our democracy that we calling out regardless of party and this is wrong is wrong and we ask how you lose a democracy as one

moves a democracy and this is how you lose a democracy actions like today even more importantly, what is just happiness what will happen in the next 24 hours and will this be condemned. for somehow we just fall down some partisan line again and see another leap towards autocracy in this country. alex padilla is really most decent people i know. when most dedicated public servants i know. someone of just greatest character and we all know him well in this institution. embodies public service. he never forgot where he came from, humble origins never forgot where he came from.

in the beauty of this country is you can come from a very humble origin and appear i first got here, a farmer from montana and is senator from montana told me about a conversation he had rockefeller we got here and he said he told of a unit i came from. different w places but we both ended up here and. is the beauty of america and alex padilla he did appear by his brilliance and his integrity and his compassion. in all of that to assess risk and all of that is at risk right now. and if we let the abusive handling this good man, so many other good men and women around the country if we let this go out or most firm opposition and are strongest pushback, without her strongest defense of our

democracy, and with that, i asked the gentleman from new jersey the people yielded to the gentlewoman to my right. >> i will cement yeah okay excuse me any consult for just a second. >> ten minutes allotted to the senate has expired. >> another senator macy resignation in his or hergh own rights. >> thank you mr. president i come to the floor this afternoon to the united states senate. a place where people are elected by their constituents, to come here to be the voice and

everyone does republicans, democrats elected by the people, whoei we represent to come here and be their voice and to do the job, what is the job, to make sure that we are being there voice and speaking out for them and part of that has to be asking questions that part of that has to be demanding accountability and it has to be getting information so that we can do the best job possible. and it is unacceptable that the united states senator in his own home state elected millions of people went to ask a question about his constituents, to get an answer and was really thrown to the ground and handcuffed, that is wrong and i cannot believe we do not have senators on both sides of the aisle

calling this outrages and this is when a democracy is about and about us, coming to the united states senate, speaking out and asking questions and getting information so that we can be there voiceap what happens when voices stifled and what happens when that voice part of the floor and handcuffed. our democracy is loss mr. president, have been here for more than 32 years and i have come to this for often coming to speak out to be angry going to be a voice for my people and i've never come this close to having tears in my eyes as we speak to both sides of the aisle about this incident that occurred. we are a democracy so we can lose the democracy and it can be gone unless all of us speak out

and forcibly reject what happened to the united states senators and send the message that in this democracy, hit is justin right and part of our responsibility to speak avenue ask questions and to be able to have the knowledge we need to represent the people that we come here for. we use our voices mr. president, we use our vote mr. president. to be a part of this democracy, nonviolence and violence is done by someone representing his administration hit a forcible way, against a united states senator and how does anyone of us go home until our constituents, they can be part of a democracy, speak out about what they believe in and it is so wrong, this is so wrong.

and i hope speak up and speak out and we want democracy succeed in order to succeed we need to be able to use our voices and amounts of us questions without being forcibly thrown to the ground without being arrested by speaking up and e-cigs to the entire country, we have a democracy and we will lose that we cannot use our vote voices we will lose this democracy none of us should be sorry, none of us and thank you and a deal senator from connecticut. >> this feels like defining moment for the country but also for this body and may take a few moments for our politics to

watch the full video together some additional facts, to come to a conclusion. but we need a republican colleagues to be in the floor right now us and this is not simply an assault on senator alex padilla and this is not an assault on democratic senators, this is an assault on the role of law and assault in our democracy and ultimately, we are rubbing the ability of every single senator to do our job if we are now going to be threatened with violence predict when we simply need to send a four hour constituents. and now, we have town halls and we are all have constituents who oppose us sometimes vocally speaking for myself, i don't else law enforcement to throw my

constituents to the ground and violently handcuffed them because they have a different opinion for me and you why don't you do that, because we do not do that and it democracy is ordinary citizens and we certainly do not allow the administration law enforcement worse for the administration to do that the united states senate to work for you to a way republicans and democrats to come together around this essential function of protecting our ability and right of senators to speak up for our constituents and i understand, my republican colleagues will need some time together the facts but we already had a statement from the department of homeland security that is accuses senator alex padilla be disrespectful as if that is a

rationalization for violence and watch the video pretty unit if you believe that he was disrespectful and given the time some of the certainly the eye of the beholder, and that never justifies quote we saw on that video from offering anyone nevermind, elected representative of the people around them up to be handcuffed and they say that he did not identify who he was, and you watch the video any clearly states i am senator alex padilla. they're going to spend this faq my republican colleagues, fellow them do it and protect ourof ability to service of the people, to speak of the people they represent to make sure that we do not normalize this kind of violence simply because the

white house does not agree with people who descend edifices how united states senator can be treated and none of us ultimately our immune cell the unitedse states senator can be treated none of our constituents, or safe. this is a test. the country and for the united states senate as well. >> the senator from virginia. >> ms. present two days fromda today, june 14th is playing day and it's the day every year where we celebrate the flag affected c his visa coffee celebrate we celebrate court american values of the most core american values the one the week taken of office in the constitution of the united states constitution includes say bill of rights when the most

pieces of the bill of rights is the first amendment and drafted by virginians james madison. and it talks about the fact that can be lost or legal restrictions against the rightso of the people to peacefully assemble and petition the government to redress. that right is not something that we are allowed for that right is something we are guaranteed mccoy different, alex padilla born and raised in los angeles, loves his hometown and mit educated baseball playing engineer. he returned some served on the los angeles city council, no susan's body has very legitimate

questions about why in an unprecedented way, the national guard in the united states marine has been deployed into city, over the objections of the mayor and over the objections of the governor, and historically unprecedented this way, anyway such as it escalates tensions in this town rather than to reduce them so he decided to go to a peaceful public assembly and it was a press conference, private meeting which he was not allowed to enter the press conference purpose is to share information with the public in my colleague alex padilla who goes to wednesday prayer breakfast with me every week bipartisan group of colleagues from attended a public event so that he could ask a question. about why some him was being seized by marines and national

guard of the objection of the mayor and the governor. his question was a grievance is not agree with the policies of the administration any's guaranteed this document for the right to petition the government for grievances and as an american, this is what we are supposed to do printed the framers of thear constitution hs put this into the first amendment to protect the rights alex padilla and all of us. i think they did because they believe it would help democracy look better, the democracy works better when people can speak freely democracy works better when people can profess a religion and press can operate freely and when people came together peacefully and share their dissenting points of view and makes our democracy work better pretty thank you mistake,

the effort to manhandle our colleagues, to push them out of the room for asking and inconvenient question, handcuffed him as an attempted to shut him up and is an attempt to shut everybody up if you have a dissenting view from this administration and that's why the administration has deployed military in an unprecedented way. they want to make you decide though you were granted this right, they want to make you afraid to exercise the right and so iou concludes my would you sy this, i think i, how would encourage americans of all kinds, find a peaceful assembly on june 14, on flag day and attend it. and show if you are a brave and patriotic american that embraces the first amendment to the

constitution he will not allow anyone to intimidate you and i was a missionary in on doris and 1980 and 1980 when it was an authoritarian society and windows guarantee the rights to assemble, or complaint you might do it can be okay when they next day you might be arrested the next day you might be disappeared killed. and thus not who we are, we need patriotic americans to set up justice in their alex could be so this is on the rights to peacefully assemble. enter present whatever companies they have about policies they find the objection own without i yield the floor. >> and mr. president about you know given a lot of speeches on the floor andg is the least the most clear that i will interview this is self of dictatorship. it is actually happening. united states senator was man

handled ground and cuffed identified himself i am senator alex padilla that should be enough and that should be enough. united states senator by the end of the constitution of the united states, allows him question is being disrespectful and it is american. and being disrupted is okay if it is just using your words had not your body. this is self dictatorship nothing making the most terrified, as i see there are republicans presiding officer in

this chamber and i understand member of your party want context, is untaxed justifies me this action. alex padilla's not required to be back about every single way, in order to exercise his responsibilities as american to represent california and begged him to say senate and this step of dictatorships. the office clearly complained, he cussed him, there's no reporting here and it's recording they did notg. want to hear him speak. and if the internet present accurately, the secretary was there and delivering her remarks within earshot the whole time

she has command authority over the ages who are resting a leader in the legislative branch. this is not something on the internet, we all know what we saw. we all know what we saw. i remain hopeful that the leader in the republicans and walk us back but i am not so sure anymore. so, of the homeland security, they continue the series of publications, to justify increasing the authoritarian actions, hutu obligations in one to establish the legislative branch here and won't stand for it most people who peacefully protesting, be very disciplined this weekend.

be very peaceful this weekend because were going to win we need to maintain the high ground and i don't mean we lose democrats we americans in this system of government, and i've never of the day or six, so outraged product of an administration and five yield before. sue had no words in this moment thef dangers to our country and union and stand here before the senate in this chamber make such important decisions is not only in the room that we as senator should be able to we have about the direction of her country and

problems over nations we could be smart and united states senators senators and i say centers that we represent this entire nation is a body the idea that just saw a the video of my colleagues here from to the floor and handcuffed humiliated the humiliation of this body. in the shameful notice, by which he was while the secretary of the department of homeland security shame on those that instigated it and followed through.it it is something that all of us collectively need to stand against stiffness is not about

partisanship is about what this institution what is the spotty mean whether or not ours and found actions as dictated by hope that we swear to the constitution of article one as well and lays out what her job is. that's very much under threat right now and i feel for my colleagues i don't know it's happening right now and have that we are able to get greater clarity about that probably see always on the video transpire help that every american this country sees. i can see the actions that have worked in other nations that are working diplomacy the national security, and the nations with a authoritarian leadership and i never thought i would say

anything like this here at home. in transpire here in a way that we saw it unfold. and again, the humiliation and this body is all about the question is, what will the senate do to stand up for ourselves rated something that i have that every single senator is thinking about right now. and this is not a time which a finger up in the air which way the wind is blowing. try to think through what type of reaction might come to the white house we speak out against this is a time for us to stand up together in a stand up for each other and for this institution not just right now is about credibility we have is a bodye moving forward. i know again it and i am new here and one of the newer members i came here and i wanted

to serve the spotty because of what it stood for. i wanted to serve in this institution because i believe this is an institution that will be credible honor integrity, and even at this challenging moment in this country need this body to be able to come together. so i call on all of my colleagues, both sides of the aisle, to condemn this action to stand united with invoice standing up for ourselves will just cast themselves toe the margins of relevance in this nation r right now what point does it for us is hennepin show up to work everyday is the kind of treatment that would involve any of us this day right now this country i'm outrage and i hope others are as well some time to

be silent is time for us to be united into the rest of the country what this institution means otherwise, we might as well go home pretty after one fight for my colleagues at five for each other five our democracy and with that i will yield back soon senator from arizona. >> mr. president, i have to say this week stood out for me personally was some positive notes and some real downers predict we could not startaw great, the president of the united states for the first time i think it possibly my lifetime, sent troops without requesting the governor into a state because people were protesting. and some could makesu an argumet that maybe a few protesters

thought over somebody's receive line but they were largely peaceful protests. the president did is beyond his authority and it is illegal and it was not a good start to the week and i have to say to mr. president i also have to say there was some positive thingsgs this weakening of the meat your grandson because that he was 15 years old got a gun euro space museum a place that i love things that makes our country stand out the best ways. and it shows that we can do when we work together. and when we bring the full force of the united states behind doing things that are positive pretty soon people in the mood of the 1960s some events i got to see some of the hardware over at the aerospace museum. i also had to say that the end of thisd week, was rather

outrageous and horrific and it was brought to the american people strongly believe because of the attitude of this president and his ability to work outside of thee boundaries of what most americans feel are in accordance with our values andap ethics on habited day to senator padilla was outrageous and was violent. and it's a scary thing to see happen in the united states of america and alex padilla is a great guy is thoughtful and passionate and is just trying to stir his consist was in the best waking us how. by doing the things that is in our constitution, freedom of speech, article one by exercising his constitutional

rights, as rights of the united states senator nest questions. of government officials he was doing his job oversight oversight and department of homeland security and this is in a federal building is to not happen in isolation. administration arrested the mayor, and a member of congress in the labor leader. any other day, i think limited the one highlight of this week grandkids and a lowlight is besides this at the end of the week, so it happened at fort bragg become the other day. the president of the united states going to a u.s. military base and using soldiers as political props that is not who we are as a country have to say

mr. president, what i saw today is leaving us down a dangerous path. we cannot retreat to partisan corners. in senator shots mentioned think there is a republican sorry average one of the colleagues the other side of the aisle being violently handled the law enforcement. this is wrong and it is opening our country first. i have to say i hope we can turn things around here in the coming weeks. but in my lifetime, certainly my time in public office in my time serving this country of never seen anything like i have seen this week. thank you and i yield the floor.

>> mr. president, this is a horrifying moment in our nations history, today united states senator alex pavia was violently removed it from a public briefing and for asking questions on behalf of the people he represents the people in california who deserve answers about the brutal crackdown on protesters and watch the video as many of you have as well we just describe what it showed, the officers pushed him backwards out of the room as he said, i am sending her pedia and i have questions for the secretary and he was then shoved to the ground with a senator fighting the officer, and went on his knees, he was forcibly penned stomach and he was ordered to put his hands behind his back, and to be heard on the video saying, he is

talking to comply with orders and officers then put handcuffs on the senator he was on the ground in his back staff was told to stop recording the handcuffing and he was put in handcuffs, for asking a simple question he was put handcuffs from doing his job as a united states senator. he was put in handcuffs for standing up for the constitution of the united states and he was put in handcuffs that representing the people of california. now if you are not yet convinced the president trump and his administration are trying to cross free speech and just watch the video and watch the video pretty if you're not convinced the president trump and his administration are trying to undermine the foundations of our democracy, watch the video if

you are not yet convinced the president trump and his administrationti are hell-bent n punishing people with differing opinions, and those of the president, then watch the video. and here's the really chilling rtpart, make no mistake, that having to senator alex padilla today, this happening everyday all across this country. every day, the adjustment agents are throwing people to the ground environmentally handcuffing them while they are not resisting and detaining them for exercising their first amendment rights of free speech everyday donald trump as making this nation more and more like a fascist state. this is how federal agents treat united states senator, who

peacefully ask questions of this administration, the real doubts, how far will you go, how violent will they get. i know my republican colleagues can see what happened today was wrong. i will any republican senator speak up for our democracy they know senator padilla's character and another senator padilla is a kind man and a man was concerned for his children and the mentor was concerned for his home in amman is barricaded his life to public service in amman who is a patriot at. where are the republican colleagues, where is a republican senate braided where you stand up and speak out this is a continuation of what we sing intimidate every other check of presidential power in this country where of the civil

point of the giving of this people and imprison judges and criminally charged house members, visit and i specifically interest senators who ask questions and this is na drill, this is an assault on our democracy and calling him a republican colleagues to join us demanding a bipartisan investigation into this incident at what habited this conference was disgraceful, and un-americar the united states senate should condemn it in captiva now. mr. president, ideal the floor. >> sooner from oregon. >> i was on my way to the floor to talk about clean energy policy this afternoon but i have

to join my colleagues in addressing shocking video los angeles and i've known lt. if you follow it home in the colleagues and senator alex padilla the tearing out as constitutionally possibly conduct oversight and even the people that he represents and at the time, he was physically accosted and shoved it at a press conference and pushing the ground and handcuffed in press conference being held by kristi noem is a horrifying video and truly horrifying and i'm of the view of my specially going to the four is not about happening to the united states senator here is what it is about and if they will do this to sitting united states senator, in front of a room full of media, imagine this being done to powerless people in secret.

in portland, in my hometown, have firsthand experiences in this kind of activity and facebook an identical agents guns people protesters, and importantly, with the mall under all the moms, my neighbors, and we all set then it is un-american and i say and again this afternoon, what we've seen our screens and it does not have the is or the market people the anti- democratic conduct and i will close by saying this, it has to change. peaceful americans cannot have this kind rain down on them for the next three and half years and it house to and now in a yield the floor.

>> the senator from russians who have income to join alex to express right are the options taking place in losan angeles winter colleague, alice padilla senator alex padilla was thrown out of an event where he was just simply trying to express his opinion on behalf of the millions californians that he represents is so interesting to me,e that this situation happend because not that long ago, in the state of washington and olympia, we had a bill signing and, so secret in the state of washington, that guy tim is probably the divisiveness of other governor bob ferguson believes any find him on all sorts of initiatives to the people about policies, that they want to express and so these out of individual at our state so he

shows up in a press conference, the basically protest the bill that the governor will sign any gets into the governor's office and he stands right behind our governor and one of her legislatures who basically once a governor to know this individual we disagree with is not supportable has now snuck into the governors press conference and so what is our government do, he turned around and he looks and he said hello, why are you here he said i am here to protest this in the governor turnaround and delivered his remarks and because you know why, because our governor is not afraid what he said. in the end of the building he just as a constituent.

so like his estate while he got elected by people in the governor was not afraid to let his voice be heard. but somehow, ice and homeland security are afraid of the boys of alex padilla and they are afraid of alex padilla presence in room. now how and not be in the united states of america that is senator elected, by the people of the state, who simply wants to go to a public meeting and have his voice heard on behalf of the constituents in handcuffs and then thrown to the ground is not acceptable valleys on the other side of the aisle, need to say, that this is not acceptable and are we trying to freeze the voice and we trying to say we cannot understand what true

public lessee this course is about. i think we should in washington that were big enough to think it that we know the somebody disagrees with us not going to get them thrown out in this case, how united states senator, then on front to the mountains disrespectful and in atrocity and we need to understand how this is happening in this administration, on the side of the aisle that they think that that is the way you treat the boys of the united states and expressing. >> mr. president. >> senator from maryland.. >> i stand i'm shaking, i am so angry i am so enraged it with the treatment that i witnessed today myod colleagues senator ax

pretty hard, this is not america, this is not the america in each of us come here is the on behalf of there are some say they don't recognize this america hello that ring the bell today. for all who are watching and listening, we have now crossed the line and this is a dangerous day in the history of our country. ... and when he was there to carry out his duty. he was there peacefully, and he decided to ask a question. and in donald trump's america, asking a question and pushing back caused him to be manhandled for the whole word to see. manh manhandled, treated like a person who came off the street.

the thuggish behavior i saw today is absolutely unacceptable. to put hands on this peaceful man who is not only a senator, he's a father, he's a husband, he's a person, he's a venerable part of our society who was thereby on behalf of the people who elected him. he was treated violently today. you could see his hands up in the air. you could see his hands up in the air. that was not enough. he was taken to the ground and handcuffed. what was the explanation? it is an explanation anyone would know that it was a full-on lie. that he looked like an attacker. if this doesn't cause every person under the sound of my voice to shut-- i don't know w about it because today it's senator padilla. and you know what, tomorrow it can be any one of us. this is not what democracy looks

like. this is anything but a democracy. the right to free speech is sacred in our country. the right to free speech is sacred. and today we watched it violated in horrible ways that we will account for. we as a country, if we continue along this road, i tell you we will account for it. it was dr. martin luther king who said that the ark of the moral universe is long but it does bend towards justice. this injustice cannot stand. this cannot stand. and i tell you, america, let's be careful. we cannot continue along this road, we absolutely cannot. we must continue to encourage and allow free speech. it is the right of every person in this country. and today i am sickened and i am angry and something must happen. these people must be held to account for what happened to senator padilla today.

i yield. >> mr. president? >> senator from delaware. >> mr. president, you can see and feel and hear the anger, the disappoint, the concern for the future of our country. senator alex padilla is probably one of the first people that took time to sit down with me as a freshman senator, to prepare me for this job. he serves this body and his state with intelligence and with

grace and with poise. and so to see my colleague pushed, man handled, taken to the ground, arms put behind his back. this person who anyone who meets will say is more of a gentle giant than someone who deserves that kind of treatment, it blows my mind. that's the thing, i am shocked, i am numb, i am angry. and i think part of it is because senator padilla is a senator. but there are people every day, right now across this country who are facing this kind of

concern of their treatment of peacefully trying to exhibit the voice of america. but also for him, he was just doing his job of oversight. similarly, some of us also have spoken up about monica -- lamonica mciver -- what does that mean for all of the citizens of this country? in this moment, this is a pivotal moment. this is an opportunity for our leadership here in this chamber, as well as the other members on the democratic side, republican

side to say this is what's acceptable, that's really what this is about. when the incident happened, we were all on this floor. and i remember seeing the video. and the shock that i felt, it literally took my breath away. and i turned to other members on the floor to say, have you seen this? and they had not seen it. i walked across the aisle to my republican colleagues, they had not seen it. and there was a sense of shock as well. and so what remains to be seen is what we do with that shock. what we do with that indignation. what we do with the fact that alex padilla was doing his job on behalf of his constituents and on behalf of his country. that's what remains to be seen. where do we go from here? and so you have heard folks talk about free speech, peaceful

assembly, the ability to do our jobs of oversight. but ultimately, what this is about is about the foundation of this country. i'm just shaking my head. i'm shaking my head, but i'm also resolute in the fact that we were called here for this moment. as bad as things may be, as bad as they may seem, we were called here for such a time as this. and the question is, what do we do with this time? i ask both sides of the aisle to speak up. about not only this incident,

but about incidents we're seeing across this country. i ask my colleagues to come together on behalf of not only the american people, but the democracy on which this country stands. and i will continue to stand with alex padilla, i will continue to stand with those folks around this country who are facing this same kind of unacceptable behavior. lastly, i would also mention that we do have a role and responsibility. there are three branches of government. thank god for the courts right now holding it down. but this moment is the moment. there won't be a light switch that says democracy is gone. that's not how it happens. i've heard my good friend chris murphy talk about that, that it's piece by piece, moment by moment we see it chipped away.

we have an opportunity and a responsibility to make sure that we do not let this slip away. thank you, mr. president and i yield back. >> we are here in the sanctuary of democracy. >> great responsibilities fall once again to the great democracies. >> american democracy is bigger than any one person. >> freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected. >> we are still, at our core, a democracy. >> this is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom. >> up next,em