Some Florida lawmakers were there when rioters stormed U.S. Capitol

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A twelvemonth aft the onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol, a pistillate carries flowers up the stairs into the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, successful Washington. Thursday marks the archetypal day of the Capitol insurrection, a convulsive onslaught that has fundamentally changed Congress and prompted wide concerns astir the aboriginal of American democracy. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

WASHINGTON – In what galore hoped could beryllium unifying, the effect to the riot astatine the U.S Capitol shows a continued divide.

Throughout the time Thursday, radical successful Washington person spoken retired astir the onslaught astatine the Capitol, and News4JAX has requested remark from each of your elected national leaders successful Northeast Florida.

The images of Jan. 6, 2021 -- unforgettable, particularly for those who experienced it firsthand.

Rep. Al Lawson, D-Florida District 5, issued a connection that reads: “I callback walking into the Chamber to formed my ballot aft the onslaught successful the aboriginal greeting hours, and it was hard to judge that thing similar this would hap successful America. We person seen it successful different countries, but not here. However, this riot happened successful beforehand of each our eyes.”

Rep. Val Demings, D-Florida District 10, is simply a Jacksonville autochthonal who represents Orlando successful Congress.

”I was determination with my colleagues to ticker the peaceful modulation of power, but unfortunately, and I accidental this arsenic a erstwhile 27-year instrumentality enforcement officer, determination was thing that was peaceful astir that day,” Demings recalled.

Demings made herself disposable to sermon the riot and didn’t propulsion her punches, particularly erstwhile it comes to getting answers astir what happened.

“We should privation to cognize who participated. Not conscionable those physically, but those who were not there, who funded it, who planned it,” Demings said. “We’ve got to cognize each of those things truthful we tin marque definite our children and our grandchildren and aboriginal generations merit for this to ne'er happen.”

Calls to clasp radical accountable person turned into a partisan line.

Many Republicans knock the ongoing investigations, but a twelvemonth ago, Rep. John Rutherford, R-Florida District 4, told america helium supports accountability and called it a nationalist disgrace erstwhile speaking with News4JAX.

The Jacksonville Republican said a week aft the riot, “The blasted for nonaccomplishment of life, violence, and spot harm falls squarely connected the shoulders of those who committed these crimes. Those who stormed the Capitol, caused the decease of a constabulary officer, and injured galore others indispensable beryllium held accountable for their actions. It is past clip our state finds our mode backmost unneurotic to heal our unfastened wounds…”

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Florida District 6, told america successful an interrogation 2 weeks aft the riot: “We request to person a afloat probe of truly what happened.”

A twelvemonth later, Republicans person pulled backmost – astatine slightest from the probe underway successful Congress.

“We tried to found an autarkic committee with an adjacent fig of Republicans and Democrats, a peculiar autarkic committee -- conscionable similar we did during 911 -- to analyse this case. It was rejected by the Republican members,” Demings said.

News4JAX requested remark from each section subordinate of the House of Representatives, and Florida’s 2 senators.

Some did not respond, immoderate said their schedules were afloat and immoderate simply said they did not privation to talk astir it.

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