The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“NATIONAL GUARD” mentioning James M. Inhofe was published in the Senate section on pages S100-S101 on Jan. 22.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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The publication is reproduced in full below:
NATIONAL GUARD
Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, since last week, there have been over 20,000 members of the National Guard stationed here at the Capitol. They are here--and have been here and are still here--to keep us safe, keep the Members safe, Senators safe, staff, press--all of us. It seems that people are speculating that maybe this was overkill, maybe we didn't really need this many people here. They are wrong. This was a nice, successful inauguration and successful, peaceful transfer of power because they were there. I made that very clear to the ones I have been talking to in the field over the last 3 days. I know, firsthand, that they are really outstanding professionals, these guards.
We have about 400 guards here from the Oklahoma National Guard. I visited with them--I guess it was on Wednesday--in five different groups. I went around and talked to them because they weren't all in the same location, and we thanked them for the service and the sacrifices they are making. Long hours. These guys are having long hours. They are the best of the best. The many I saw did deployments in Afghanistan.
When I was talking to them, they would remember, and say: Well, Senator Inhofe, I remember we were together in Afghanistan; we were together in Ukraine. These guys--that was 10 years ago, and they are still on the job working. I don't know what we could have done without them.
In fact, I asked several of them, how many of you in this group, from Oklahoma, in the Guard, have never been to Washington before, that this is your first trip. More than half of them had never been to Washington before. That was a great opportunity for them too. But I am really humbled and grateful for what they are doing for us, and I am sure all of our colleagues are.
That is why I was so shocked and really angry last night--and I picked it up on TV--I didn't know anything about it--when I heard that the guards were being made to feel like they were unwelcome by some person in the Capitol Police, and they were to take their rest breaks someplace else and actually sent to the parking garage, of all places. Our Guard members are being lodged in hotels. They are working shifts, 12-hour shifts a day. They are long shifts, on their feet, so they need to have rest breaks. And they can't do that lying in the Senate garage.
They have 2 hours on and 1 hour off, plus time for eating and that type of thing. We can all agree they should be comfortable on their breaks, a place to sit and lie down, eat, charge their batteries, and things they have to do--talk to their families at home. That is what they are supposed to be doing. That is precisely where they were. They were using the buildings here in the Capitol before they were made to feel unwelcome and pushed to the garage.
I understand, and I am glad that they have moved back in and they are now well taken care of. And that is a good thing. But they should never have had to go through this in the first place.
What we did, you have to find out--you get to the bottom of it. And that is what we are doing now. We are getting answers. I called the acting chief of the Capitol Police this morning. I called General McConville. General McConville is the Chief of Staff of the Army, and they are all working to find out how this happened. The acting chief, Pittman, says the guards were never asked to leave yesterday.
I know that she believes that. But several--multiple members of the military said, no, they were told to leave. We know one thing; that whether it was confusion from the fog and the friction and the environment or whatever it was, the troops didn't move on their own, so they were asked by somebody.
This isn't a blame game. But I do want to know what happened to make sure it doesn't happen again. This is what happened. There was one uniformed police officer who issued an order without authority or without going through the chain of command. I am glad that the U.S. Capitol Police and the Guard are talking and trying to figure this out. We are going to be able to identify who that person was, and we will make that public. But, ultimately, one message for our National Guard up here: You are appreciated. You are welcome. We are very, very grateful for the sacrifices that you made. And if you are ever told at any point that you need to vacate and don't have a comfortable place, just go to Russell 205, and I will make sure that you will be very comfortable in my office.
I know that there is bipartisan outrage about this, so I think you will have plenty of places to rest. You have done a great job. You will be returning home soon. And you will be able to say: Job well done
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
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