Senate Democrats condemn Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons in new resolution
Senate Democrats have co-sponsored a resolution to condemn former President Donald Trump for his pardons of individuals involved in the January 6 capitol insurrection, particularly those who assaulted Capitol police officers. The resolution, supported by all Democrats and independents in the Senate, expresses disapproval of pardons granted to those convicted of violent conduct during the uprising. Senator Patty Murray emphasized the importance of acknowledging the violent actions that occurred on January 6 and criticized Trump’s attempts to downplay these events. While Democrats aim to pass the resolution through unanimous consent, they face potential opposition from Republicans, even though some GOP members, like Senator Lindsey Graham, have expressed their disapproval of Trump’s pardons without supporting the resolution.
Senate Democrats condemn Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons in new resolution
Senate Democrats co-sponsored a symbolic resolution to condemn President Donald Trump for pardoning Jan. 6 defendants who assaulted Capitol Police officers.
All Democrats and independents who caucus with them signed on to the one-line resolution, and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the final Democrat to join. His office confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the Pennsylvania senator added his name after Murray announced the resolution publicly on Monday morning, according to multiple reports.
The resolution would issue the Senate’s disapproval of “any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who announced the legislation, said in a statement that she refuses to “allow President Trump to rewrite what happened on January 6th—armed insurrectionists, incited by Trump himself, broke into the U.S. Capitol and violently assaulted Capitol Police officers in their attempt to overthrow a free and fair election.”
Murray continued, “Affirming that U.S. Senators condemn unconditional pardons for people who were found guilty of violently assaulting Capitol Police officers should be the easiest thing in the world. If Republicans care even the tiniest bit about law enforcement, they should be outraged by these pardons.”
Democrats will seek to pass the resolution by unanimous consent to adopt it. A single senator can block the legislation and no Republicans signed on to the resolution, although a number have voiced criticism of Trump’s action.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Trump made a mistake in pardoning the violent Jan. 6 offenders, even though he acknowledged that the president has the authority to make the move.
“He had the legal authority to do it but I fear that you will get more violence,” Graham said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently, I think, was a mistake because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do.”
On Trump’s first day in office, he pardoned approximately 1,500 defendants charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and commuted the sentences of six others. His pardons included rioters who were charged with assaulting police or obstructing police during a riot.
The president’s blanket pardons come after former President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned members of his own family, members of the Jan. 6 committee who investigated the attack, Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and others.
Democratic senators have been critical of the former president’s decision. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told reporters last week that he was “very disappointed” in Biden’s preemptive pardons because it undercuts their messaging on Jan. 6 pardons.
“I think it’s harder to … stand on the high ground and make a critique of the Trump pardons on Jan. 6 when President Biden is pardoning family members,” Kaine said.
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