Today, Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-7) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) introduced a resolution censuring Representative Mo Brooks (AL-5) for inciting violence against his fellow members of Congress as part of last week’s assault on the United States Capitol. The attack on Capitol Hill was intended to prevent the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate from discharging their Constitutional duties to count electoral college votes in certification of the 2020 presidential election.

On January 6^th, 2021, in Washington, DC, Representative Mo Brooks addressed the crowd that would soon try to seize the Capitol, which was attended by numerous members of known extremist and anti-government groups. After denouncing Republican and Democratic members of Congress who were planning to certify the presidential election, he urged participants to “start taking down names and kicking ass.” The rally goers then marched to the Capitol, which they forcibly and unlawfully entered, many armed with metal rods, bats, and firearms, hoisting Confederate battle flags, assaulting police officers, leading to the murder of United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and four other deaths, dozens of injuries, and causing physical damage to U.S. Capitol property. After inciting these acts of insurrection that resulted in injuries and loss of life, Representative Brooks then made the following statement: “I make no apology for doing my absolute best to inspire patriotic Americans.”

“Representative Brooks knew perfectly well what he was doing — and whom he was inciting — when he encouraged the mob set on storming the Capitol to commit violence on Wednesday,” said Representative Malinowski. “His actions endangered the lives of his fellow members of Congress, the Vice President, and the police officers who bravely tried to defend the Capitol, and he deserves at the very least the formal condemnation of the House.”

“Congressman Mo Brooks aided President Trump in inciting an angry mob of rioters to attack our cradle of democracy by urging a fuming crowd galvanized on lies to ‘stop by the Capitol’ and start ‘kicking ass.’ Not only did Congressman Brooks’ fuel an insurrection against the body he serves in, his words helped spark chaos, destruction, injuries and death. Censure seems too trifling a punishment in this horrific case, but it’s the minimal level of accountability Congressman Brooks should face from the same Congress he goaded rioters to assault,” said Representative Wasserman Schultz. 

Find the text of the Resolution here.