Chris Murphy Sends Clear Warning About Alex Padilla’s Forced Removal From A DHS Briefing

Forbes Breaking News

During remarks on the Senate floor on Thursday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) spoke about Sen. Alex Padilla's (D-CA) removal from a DHS press briefing.

Transcript

00:00Mr. President.

00:01To recognize the senator from Connecticut.

00:04Thank you, Mr. President.

00:06Senator Booker and I have now spoken several times on the floor.

00:10Senator from California has been here multiple times.

00:17We were doing so because we saw the look in our colleague's eyes

00:21as he was being violently thrown out of that room.

00:26You lost contact with his eyes in the hallway as he was being pushed

00:31stomach down onto the ground and handcuffed.

00:37One of our colleagues suggested that Senator Padilla got what he wanted.

00:43If you saw Senator Padilla's eyes, if you saw Alex's eyes as he was being pushed out of that room,

00:49you saw a man who did not expect to be treated that way,

00:52who thought that he was coming to register his dissent, his objection,

00:57to something deeply serious and illegal that was happening in his state.

01:04He had a responsibility as a senator to speak truth to power.

01:09And so we are here on this floor speaking repeatedly

01:13in hopes that at some point, some of our Republican colleagues,

01:18whether here or in other public statements,

01:20will register some degree of concern for what happened to their colleague.

01:28We lose our democracy if we lose our ability to dissent.

01:32In 1722, in a newspaper started in Boston

01:42by the name of the New England Current,

01:44one of the country's first newspapers,

01:46a series of essays began to appear

01:50that were speaking to some really radical ideas for 1722.

01:56This is 20 years before Thomas Jefferson was born.

01:59This was 50 years before Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense.

02:04This is 1722.

02:07And the author's name is Silence Duguid.

02:11Silence Duguid writes in the New England Current,

02:15whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation

02:18must begin by subduing the freedom of speech,

02:25a thing terrible to public traitors.

02:28Silence goes on to say this sacred privilege of free speech

02:35is so essential to free government

02:38that the security and prosperity

02:40and the freedom of speech always go together.

02:47And in those wretched countries

02:48where a man cannot call his tongue his own,

02:52he can scarce call anything his own.

02:56In 1722, this was a radical idea.

03:01This idea that a tyrant

03:04must control the freedom of thought with violence

03:10in order to maintain control of the people.

03:15The New England Current was owned by a man named James Franklin.

03:20And he probably didn't know that Silence Duguid

03:24was a pseudonym for his 16-year-old brother

03:27named Benjamin Franklin.

03:31That's Benjamin Franklin, writing in 1722,

03:3616 years old.

03:38Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation

03:40must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.

03:44What happened to Senator Padilla today,

03:50it does stand in context.

03:54I say again, it does matter

03:56that on that day in which violence

04:01was used against the United States Capitol

04:05as a means to try to upset our democracy,

04:09it was cheered on by a president

04:10who then pardoned those violent rioters.

04:16It stands in the context of the arrest

04:20of a mayor in New Jersey

04:23and a congressperson seeking to do

04:25normal and regular oversight.

04:28It stands in context

04:30with the use of the FCC

04:32to try to intimidate and harass

04:35news stations

04:37that carry coverage unfavorable to the president.

04:42It stands in context of

04:43the banning of outlets

04:45having access to the White House or the Pentagon

04:47simply because they don't write things

04:49that are favorable to the president

04:50and use terms that are favorable

04:52to the president.

04:58If we lose our democracy,

05:00it's not likely that there's going to be

05:02this one moment,

05:04this one day,

05:05this one fight.

05:07It won't be

05:08like other

05:10revolutions

05:12where the parliament building

05:15gets burned down

05:16or a coup occurs.

05:19No, it will be

05:20that over time

05:22the message has been sent

05:24that if you speak up

05:26against the government,

05:27there is a price

05:28to be paid

05:30and that price

05:30involves violence.

05:34But if you use violence

05:36on behalf of

05:38the government,

05:40it will be excused.

05:44And so

05:45why we are

05:48still on this floor tonight

05:49is

05:50sure,

05:51we have immense respect

05:53for our colleague

05:54and I believe

05:54and I believe he has respect

05:55across the aisle.

05:57Senator Pity is a decent

05:58human servant

05:59who doesn't deserve

06:00to be treated

06:01that way.

06:03We're here because

06:04he's our friend

06:05and our colleague.

06:06But we are also here

06:08because

06:09too many

06:11in this body

06:12take for granted

06:13that this democracy

06:15is natural,

06:16that it is just going

06:16to hang around

06:17no matter the threats.

06:19the effort

06:22that this administration

06:23is undergoing

06:24to excuse

06:26and normalize

06:27violence

06:27when it happens

06:29in

06:29advancement

06:32of the administration's

06:33political priorities

06:34and then to suppress

06:36non-violent speech

06:39in a multitude

06:41of ways.

06:43When it objects

06:44to this administration's

06:45priorities,

06:46it sends

06:46a message

06:47to the public

06:49about what you can

06:51get away with

06:51and what you can't

06:52get away with.

06:53Now, I don't think

06:54this will be the result.

06:55I don't think

06:55the American people

06:56will be bullied

06:57into silence.

06:58I do not believe

06:59they will watch

07:00that clip

07:01of Alex Padilla

07:02being forced

07:04to the ground

07:05and handcuffed

07:06and decide

07:08to stay home.

07:08No, I think,

07:09in fact,

07:10the opposite

07:10will likely happen.

07:12I think more

07:13Americans

07:14will be out there

07:15protesting

07:16this government.

07:18I think

07:18more Americans

07:19will decide

07:20to be present

07:22this weekend

07:22to stand up

07:23for the right

07:24of free speech.

07:27But if that

07:28were to be the case,

07:29it would be

07:29the exception

07:30to the historical rule

07:32because in most

07:34countries,

07:35when a ruler

07:37uses violence

07:38in order to

07:40suppress dissent,

07:41it works.

07:43People decide

07:44that they don't

07:45want to risk

07:45the fate

07:48of Alex Padilla.

07:50They don't want

07:51to be on the ground

07:53with their hands

07:54forced behind them

07:57and put into handcuffs.

07:58They stay home

07:59and they just

08:01let the tyranny

08:03wash over

08:04their community

08:05and their country.

08:06We're not there yet.

08:07I don't mean

08:08to exercise

08:10hyperbole.

08:10What I seek

08:11to say is that

08:12we should not

08:13take this democracy

08:14for granted

08:15and that there

08:18can be,

08:21history tells us,

08:22there often is

08:23a deep impact

08:26when violence

08:27is used

08:28against those

08:29who are protesting

08:30the regime.

08:31It becomes

08:32normalized

08:32and it ends up

08:34scaring many people

08:36into a descent

08:37away from civic

08:38participation

08:39and that

08:39is where

08:40our democracy

08:42dies.

08:44This sacred

08:44privilege,

08:45the privilege

08:46of free speech,

08:47the privilege

08:48to protest

08:49your government,

08:49says 16-year-old

08:51Benjamin Franklin,

08:52is so essential

08:54to free government

08:56that the security

08:58of prosperity

08:59and the freedom

09:00of speech

09:01always go

09:03together.

09:05Men cannot

09:06be prosperous,

09:07he says,

09:08without having

09:10access

09:11to the freedom

09:12of expression.

09:17Senator Padilla

09:17was doing

09:18his job.

09:20Sure,

09:21you can decide

09:22that he was

09:22being disrespectful,

09:25but that's

09:25not illegal.

09:27You could

09:28decide

09:30that he,

09:32in the alternative,

09:33should have

09:33waited until

09:34the press conference

09:35is over,

09:35but nothing he did

09:36warranted the

09:38treatment he got.

09:40And when you

09:41stand it side

09:42by side

09:42with the

09:43pardoning

09:43of the

09:44January 6th

09:44protesters,

09:45the attempt

09:46to bully

09:47the free press

09:49into towing

09:50the administration's

09:51line,

09:52the deployment

09:53of the National

09:54Guard

09:54and the Marines

09:55to a protest

09:59to a protest in

09:59California that

10:00was largely

10:01peaceful and

10:01basically just

10:03encompassed one

10:04or two square

10:05blocks,

10:06nobody mistakes

10:09what that agenda

10:10is about.

10:11That agenda

10:12is about

10:13trying to bully

10:16the American

10:18people into

10:19silence.

10:20And once again,

10:21the first several

10:22comments from our

10:23colleagues

10:23justifying

10:25the handcuffing

10:28and violence

10:29to Senator

10:30Padilla

10:30simply because

10:32they believe

10:32he was

10:33disrespectful

10:33paints a

10:36really dangerous

10:37picture of

10:37where we're

10:38heading.

10:42Senator Booker

10:43is right.

10:45The focus

10:46should be on

10:47the violence

10:48that's being

10:48done to the

10:49American people's

10:50health care

10:50right now.

10:51We're debating

10:53a bill right

10:53now as we

10:54speak to rip

10:55health care

10:55away from

10:57upwards of

10:5715 million

10:59Americans.

10:59That's

10:59extraordinary.

11:00That's a

11:01health care

11:02catastrophe.

11:03That's not

11:03just 15

11:04million people

11:04losing their

11:05health care.

11:05That's

11:05hospitals,

11:06drug treatment

11:07centers,

11:09health clinics

11:10shutting down

11:11when you

11:12pull almost

11:13a trillion

11:14dollars out

11:14of the

11:15Medicaid

11:15system.

11:17There's a

11:17new budget

11:17analysis today

11:18that shows

11:19that the

11:20poorest 30

11:21percent of

11:22the country,

11:2340 percent

11:24of the

11:24country,

11:25will be

11:25poorer after

11:26this bill

11:27passes,

11:28just so that

11:28the richest

11:2910 or 20

11:31percent can

11:32get a massive

11:33new tax cut.

11:34In fact,

11:34the richest

11:34people in

11:35this country

11:35will get an

11:36average

11:36$270,000

11:38tax cut.

11:40Literally a

11:41transfer of

11:41wealth from

11:42the poorest

11:42people in

11:43this country.

11:44People who

11:44are working

11:44minimum wage

11:45jobs are

11:46going to be

11:47poorer after

11:48having passed

11:49this bill

11:49in order

11:50to enrich

11:51the folks

11:52who are

11:52doing super

11:53well and

11:54we're going

11:54to add

11:54$3 trillion

11:55to the

11:56deficit.

11:57Just going

11:57to put it

11:58on our

11:58kids'

11:58credit card.

12:00That's maybe

12:01the most

12:01unpopular

12:02major piece

12:02of legislation

12:03that has

12:03ever come

12:04before the

12:04United States

12:05Senate.

12:06That's an

12:07agenda that

12:08you probably

12:09can only

12:09impose on

12:10the nation

12:10by force.

12:12By force.

12:14Because if

12:15people have

12:15the right

12:16to protest,

12:17if they

12:17have the

12:18ability to

12:19stand up

12:20to the

12:22most massive

12:22transfer of

12:23wealth from

12:24the poor

12:24and the

12:25middle class

12:25to the

12:26rich in

12:26the history

12:27of the

12:27country,

12:27it might

12:28not pass.

12:30That protest

12:31movement might

12:31be big enough

12:32in order to

12:33change the

12:34minds of

12:34enough members

12:36of this

12:36body so

12:37that that

12:37agenda

12:38might pass.

12:42It may

12:42be that

12:43that bill

12:43is so

12:44unpopular

12:44that the

12:45only way

12:46that you

12:46can get

12:47it to

12:47pass

12:47is by

12:51using

12:51violence

12:51and the

12:52threat

12:52of

12:52violence

12:52to

12:53suppress

12:53protest

12:55and

12:55free

12:56speech.

12:59So

12:59we are

13:01still here

13:02hours after

13:03this incident

13:04because we

13:05care about

13:05our colleague,

13:07because we

13:07believe this

13:08is ultimately

13:09going to do

13:09immense damage

13:10to this

13:10institution

13:11that we

13:11love.

13:14I've

13:14done hard

13:16work with

13:16many of my

13:17Republican

13:17colleagues.

13:18I deeply

13:18care about

13:19many of my

13:20Republican

13:20colleagues.

13:21I don't

13:21know all

13:22of them

13:22well,

13:23but I

13:25know enough

13:25of them

13:25to know

13:26that there

13:26are patriots,

13:27there are

13:28people who

13:28believe that

13:30America

13:30matters more

13:31than our

13:33party.

13:35I showed

13:35that video

13:36to several

13:38of my

13:38Republican

13:39colleagues

13:39as we

13:39were leaving

13:40the chamber

13:41today.

13:42I saw

13:42their jaws

13:43drop.

13:43I know

13:44their human

13:45reaction to

13:46what they

13:47saw, but I

13:48also know

13:48that there

13:48is a

13:49tendency in

13:50this version

13:51of the

13:51Republican

13:52Party to

13:52circle the

13:53wagons around

13:53one message

13:54that if

13:55Democrats say

13:56X, then

13:56Republicans have

13:57to say Y.

13:58That doesn't

13:58have to be

13:59the case

13:59every time.

14:00It just

14:00doesn't.

14:02There can

14:02be true

14:03things, and

14:04a true

14:04thing is

14:05this.

14:07That was

14:08an excessive

14:09impermissible

14:11amount of

14:12force that

14:13was used

14:13on Senator

14:14Padilla

14:14today.

14:14We can

14:15say that

14:15together.

14:16Even if

14:17you agree

14:19with the

14:19President on

14:20his decision

14:20to deploy

14:21the National

14:21Guard,

14:23even if

14:24you hate

14:25every single

14:25one of

14:25those

14:26protesters,

14:28even if

14:29you don't

14:30like Senator

14:30Padilla,

14:32which is

14:33hard,

14:35because he's

14:35a freaking

14:36hard guy

14:37not to

14:37like, but

14:38even if

14:39you believe

14:39all those

14:40things, you

14:40can say

14:41that what

14:42happened

14:42today is

14:43not all

14:43right, and

14:46that the

14:46White House

14:46should admit

14:47that, that

14:47there should

14:47be an

14:48apology, and

14:50that there

14:50should be

14:50protocols set

14:52in place to

14:52make sure

14:53that if a

14:53United States

14:53senator shows

14:54up to a

14:56public event,

14:57he didn't

14:58bust into a

14:58private meeting.

14:59This was a

15:00press conference

15:01designed to

15:04be public,

15:05to transmit

15:06public information.

15:07He wanted

15:07to make

15:07sure that

15:08that was

15:08accurate

15:09information.

15:09Maybe you

15:10don't like

15:10the way

15:10that he

15:11did it,

15:11but what

15:12he did

15:12is not

15:12illegal.

15:13What he

15:13did does

15:14not deserve

15:14that treatment.

15:15We can

15:15decide that

15:18that's wrong.

15:19We can

15:20recognize the

15:22danger to

15:23this concept

15:24of free

15:25speech defended

15:26in 1722 by

15:28a 16-year-old

15:29Benjamin Franklin

15:30is serious

15:32enough for

15:33us to

15:33speak together

15:34with one

15:35voice.

15:36So my

15:38Republican

15:38colleagues may

15:39think that we

15:39are belaboring

15:40the point,

15:41but this is

15:44an important

15:45moment for

15:47the Senate

15:47and for the

15:47nation.

15:50I yield the

15:50floor.

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