How to resolve AdBlock issue? Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) and his staff – along with Congressman John Garamendi (CA-03), Lake County’s other member of Congress, and his staffers – were safe and sheltering in place for much of Wednesday afternoon and evening as authorities worked to clear the U.S. Capitol building.
Hours earlier, a mob of Trump supporters forced their way into the building, breaking windows, getting into the offices of members of Congress and invading the chambers.
In a Wednesday afternoon phone interview with Lake County News, Thompson said he was in his office, located in the nearby Cannon Office Building, when, very early in the afternoon, he and his staff were evacuated from the building after a pipe bomb was found and the area’s security had been breached.
Authorities later reported that they had found a total of two pipe bombs in the area.
A short time later, Thompson and his staff were allowed back into their offices and were there for about 20 minutes when they were again told to evacuate.
It was at around 2 p.m. that the mob went through barriers and rushed into the building.
Thompson said that when the mob’s attack began both houses of Congress were in the process of debating whether to accept the Electoral College votes from Arizona after an objection was raised. It was the first of several states in which a number of Republican legislators objected.
He and his staff moved to a secured, undisclosed location and remained there into Wednesday evening as the process of clearing the Capitol building continued. Thompson said they needed to sweep the building to look for bombs and he was hoping evidence was being collected to prosecute the rioters.
Early Wednesday evening, Thompson was waiting to be able to get back to work on the Electoral College vote certification.
“We’re planning to go back into session and to certify the vote,” Thompson said.
Thompson criticized Trump, who had called for a protest to take place in the nation’s capital during the Electoral College certification and even spoke to supporters on Wednesday morning, urging them to go to the Capitol building. That appearance has been blamed for inciting the riot that followed. Thompson compared Trump to a school ground bully.
“This is really tragic. This has never happened in the history of our country,” Thompson said. “It just sends a terrible picture to the rest of the world.”
He added, “We’ve been a beacon for hope and democracy around the globe, and now this.”
Thompson said it was an insurrection provoked by Trump and said the outgoing president should be held accountable for it.
He said he hopes Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet have the courage to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office, but added, “I don’t know if they do,” noting that Trump has replaced most of the cabinet with lackeys.
In this case, Thompson said the 25th Amendment should be invoked, Trump should be impeached again and removed from office.
“If I had my way, I'd bring it up tonight,” he said.
However, Thompson said the first order of business was to get the election results confirmed, clearing the way for Joe Biden to become the 46th president on Jan. 20.
In addition to the hours of debate expected to continue through the night, Thompson said, “Because of COVID, it takes us over an hour to cast a vote,” with members of Congress required to make their way through the chamber in small groups.
A short time after he spoke with Lake County News, Thompson tweeted, “After today’s events, I’m calling on the Vice President to initiate proceedings under the 25th Amendment to gather the Cabinet and remove the President from office.”
Congress remained in session until shortly before 12:45 a.m. Pacific Time – 3:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time – completing the certification of the Electoral College vote with Vice President Mike Pence declaring Biden the winner of the presidency and Kamala Harris as vice president-elect.
In a statement released shortly afterward, Thompson said, “Congress has done its Constitutional duty and certified the results of the Electoral College from the 2020 Presidential Election. On January 20, Joe Biden will be the President and Kamala Harris will be the Vice President. We must ensure the peaceful transfer of power.”
Just before Pence declared the joint session of Congress dissolved, U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black, offered a closing prayer.
He prayed for healing and unity, offered thanks for what lawmakers were able to accomplish in spite of the threats to liberty and said we have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom’s price, and that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects the image of God.
Chaplain Black addressed the tragedies that he said have reminded us that words matter and that – quoting the book of Proverbs said – “The power of life and death is in the tongue.”
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