WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — His first week in office and first act as the new congressman for District 11 was anything but typical for August Pfluger. He was in the House chambers ready to join more than 100 Republican lawmakers who had planned on debating Wednesday’s Electoral College vote.
“I took an oath to support and defend the constitution – that’s what we were here to do today and peacefully debate the merits of a variety of arguments of our electoral system,” he said.
As the proceedings got under way, pro-Trump supporters in D.C. to protest stormed the U.S. Capitol building. Rep. Pfluger and other congressmen and senators were evacuated. He and his staff spent a majority of the afternoon in lockdown in their offices.
“I strongly condemn any sort of violence that has happened here. I will say that from our perspective, it appears that a majority of people are remaining peaceful,” he said. “There are those who have taken it a step too far and it is completely unacceptable to have that breach of violence and to take it to a place that is not in accordance with our constitution – the very thing that we were setting out to protect, support and defend today.”
Pfluger’s predecessor, Mike Conaway, echoed that statement. He believes Wednesday’s act of violence was committed by a small number of people that did not share the same intent as a majority of protestors in D.C.
"To see some clown sitting at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk with his feet up – that disrespect is not what our nation is about. If you split the protestors between those who are doing stupid things, violent things and ugly things versus those who were there to be part of a big deal is relatively part of a small percentage,” Conaway said. “Anyone that destroyed property, who broke in, who went where they weren't supposed to go, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent."
