Schatz Condemns Forcible Removal Of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla By Federal Agents

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor after U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was manhandled by federal agents for asking a question at a public press conference in his home state with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“This is the stuff of dictatorships,” said Senator Schatz. “There is no context that justifies this action.”

Senator Schatz continued, “As Trump's Department of Homeland Security raises the stakes and continues with a series of provocations to justify increasingly authoritarian actions, we have two obligations. One is to establish that, as a legislative branch, we are not going to stand for this. And the other is those people who are peacefully protesting be very disciplined this weekend. Be very peaceful this weekend. If we are going to win, we need to maintain the high ground. And I don't mean we, blue; we, Democrats. I mean we, Americans, who believe in this system of government. I have never, ever – other than January 6 – been so outraged at the conduct of an administration.”

A transcript of Senator Schatz’s remarks are below. Video is available here.

You know, I've given a lot of speeches on this floor, and this is the least prepared but the most clear I will ever be. This is the stuff of dictatorships. It is actually happening. A United States Senator was manhandled, shoved to the ground, and cuffed. He identified himself, “I'm Senator Alex Padilla.” That should be enough. That should be enough. A United States Senator who is, by the way, protected by the Speech and Debate Clauses of the Constitution of the United States and a specific statute that allows him to oversee immigration facilities, and he says, "I'm a senator, and I have a question."

And to Chris Murphy's point they said, "Well, he was being disrespectful.” Being disrespectful is legal. Being disrespectful is American. Being disruptive is okay if it's just using your words and not your body. This is the stuff of dictatorships, and the thing that is making me most terrified is I see zero Republicans, except for the presiding officer, in this chamber. And I understand if it's not a member of your own party, you want some context. There is no context that justifies this action. Alex Padilla is not required to be impeccable in every single way in order to exercise his responsibilities as an American and as one of the two that represents California in the United States Senate.

This is the stuff of dictatorships. One of the officers who throws him to the ground, as he's clearly complying, cuffs him face down on the carpet, and they say there's no recording in here. It's a damn press conference. It's for recording! They didn't want to hear his speaking.

And if the internet got it accurately, the Secretary was there and delivering her remarks within earshot the whole time. She has command authority over those agents, who were arresting a leader in the legislative branch. This is not something on the internet for us to argue about. We all know what we saw. We all know what we saw.

I remain hopeful that Leader Thune and other Republicans can walk us back from the brink, but I am not so sure anymore. As Trump's Department of Homeland Security raises the stakes and continues with a series of provocations to justify increasingly authoritarian actions, we have two obligations. One is to establish that, as a legislative branch, we are not going to stand for this. And the other is those people who are peacefully protesting be very disciplined this weekend. Be very peaceful this weekend. If we are going to win, we need to maintain the high ground. And I don't mean we, blue; we, Democrats. I mean we, Americans, who believe in this system of government.

I have never, ever – other than January 6 – been so outraged at the conduct of an administration.

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