WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday took to the Senate floor to strongly condemn the violent removal by federal officers of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) as he tried to ask questions and exercise Congressional oversight at a public press conference with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Murphy stressed that this incident is a direct threat to the ability of democratically elected lawmakers to represent their constituents:  “This feels like a defining moment for the country, but also for this body…This is not simply an assault on Senator Padilla. This is not an assault on Democratic senators. This is an assault on the rule of law. This is an assault on our democracy. And ultimately, we are robbing the ability of every single senator to do our job if we are now going to be threatened with violence when we simply try to stand up for our constituents.”

Murphy slammed DHS's blatant lies about why they violently removed a U.S. Senator: “We already have a statement from the Department of Homeland Security that has accused Senator Padilla of being ‘disrespectful,’ as if that is a rationalization for violence. Watch the video. Even if you believe that he was disrespectful, and given the times that is certainly in the eye of the beholder, that never justifies what we saw on that video, throwing anyone, never mind an elected representative of the people, to the ground to be handcuffed. They say that he didn't identify who he was, and yet watch the video. He clearly states ‘I am Senator Alex Padilla.”

Murphy pleaded with his Republican colleagues to stand up for democratic values and put country over party: “They're going to spin this, but I'm begging my Republican colleagues, don't let them do it. Protect our ability as servants of the people. Speak up for the people that we represent. Make sure that we do not normalize this kind of violence. Simply because the White House doesn't agree with people who dissent.”

Murphy concluded: “If this is how a United States senator can be treated, then none of us ultimately are immune. If this is how a United States senator can be treated, none of our constituents are safe. This is a test for the country, but this is a test for the United States Senate as well.”

A full transcript of Murphy’s comments is available below.

MURPHY: “Mr. President, this feels like a defining moment for the country, but also for this body. I understand that it may take a few moments for our Republican colleagues to watch the full video, to gather some additional facts, to come to a conclusion, but we need our Republican colleagues to be on the floor right now with us. 

“Because this is not simply an assault on Senator Padilla. This is not an assault on Democratic senators. This is an assault on the rule of law. This is an assault on our democracy. And ultimately, we are robbing the ability of every single senator to do our job if we are now going to be threatened with violence when we simply try to stand up for our constituents. 

“Now, we all have town halls, and we are all often met with constituents who oppose us, sometimes very vocally, but speaking for myself, I don't ask law enforcement to throw my constituents to the ground and violently handcuff them because they have a different opinion from me. You know why I don't do that? Because we don't do that in a democracy. We don't do that against ordinary citizens, and we certainly don't allow the administration and the law enforcement that works for the administration to do that to a United States senator. 

“We will enter a banana republic if we don't find a way, Republicans and Democrats, to come together around this essential question of protecting our ability, our right as senators, to speak up for our constituents. Now, I understand that my Republican colleagues are going to need some time to gather the facts, but we already have a statement from the Department of Homeland Security that has accused Senator Padilla of being ‘disrespectful,’ as if that is a rationalization for violence. 

“Watch the video. Even if you believe that he was disrespectful, and given the times that is certainly in the eye of the beholder, that never justifies what we saw on that video, throwing anyone, never mind an elected representative of the people, to the ground to be handcuffed. They say that he didn't identify who he was, and yet watch the video. He clearly states, ‘I am Senator Alex Padilla.’

“They're going to spin this, but I'm begging my Republican colleagues, don't let them do it. Protect our ability as servants of the people. Speak up for the people that we represent. Make sure that we do not normalize this kind of violence. Simply because the White House doesn't agree with people who dissent. If this is how a United States senator can be treated, then none of us ultimately are immune. If this is how a United States senator can be treated, none of our constituents are safe. This is a test for the country, but this is a test for the United States Senate as well.

“I yield the floor.”