Chaos erupted in the House chamber as the two people injured by the mob on Jan. 6 were introduced, with some Republicans booing and yelling, and several Republicans leaving the chamber in protest, according to Democrats.
“I heard some booing as about eight to 10 of my Republican colleagues walked out of the chamber in anger after it was announced that they were being sent by the Capitol as police officers on January 6,” state Assemblyman Arvind Venkat (D) said in a phone interview Thursday. “I was shocked and appalled,” he added. Venkat said the disturbance lasted about five minutes. Fewer than 100 lawmakers, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, were in the chamber before the chaos spread, he said.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has 203 members: 102 Democrats and 101 Republicans.
Republicans loudly rejected two key officers The battleground state has highlighted how the legacy of the Jan. 6 riot has polarized between political parties, with some lawmakers seeing support for the police officers who protected the Capitol from the mob as politically controversial.
Mr. Dunn and Mr. Gonnell are politically vocal. Dunn is touring Pennsylvania this week, including in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, to campaign for President Biden’s reelection. Dunn ran unsuccessfully for the Maryland House of Representatives earlier this year as a Democrat.
Republican leaders who responded to requests for comment from The Washington Post did not comment directly on the strikes but stressed their support for law enforcement and accused Democrats of politicizing the incident.
“I was on the House floor yesterday and spoke privately with two former police officers at the Speaker’s podium, and I and other members of my caucus also took photos with them,” House Republican Leader Brian Cutler said in an emailed statement, calling Democrats “they are pitting members against one another for political and campaign purposes, sowing division and discord.”
“While I did not see what anyone did on the Capitol floor yesterday, I believe the actions of House Democrats were politically orchestrated,” House Republican Caucus Chairman George Dunbar said in an email, greeting the two officers and adding that he had “deep respect” for Capitol Police and “all law enforcement.”
Rep. Jordan A. Harris (Democrat) argued that “regardless of politics,” both officers deserve respect for their actions on January 6th.
“These two brave patriots stood up and defended our Capitol and our democracy,” Harris said. “For that, they deserve our honor and respect.”
Harris noted that it’s not unusual for lawmakers from both parties to honor Americans who have served their country. Earlier this week, lawmakers honored National Guard veterans, she said. Capitol Police officers should be greeted with the same respect, she said.
“We say we support blue, but yesterday people turned their backs on blue,” Harris said. “We’re all talking politics. [but] They wore their uniforms and badges and they protected our democracy and our United States Capitol that day, and for that, they deserve respect and honor.”
Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D-Ore.), who was also in attendance, said in an email Wednesday that while “certainly some Republicans applauded and stood,” “the vast majority did not.”
“It’s embarrassing and disgraceful,” added Schlossberg, the Democratic caucus leader. At one point, the booing and jeers got so loud that “the speaker had to raise his voice over the noise,” Schlossberg said.
In a statement to The Washington Post, Speaker McClinton called the act “despicable.”
“These brave former police officers were met with scorn from many Republican members who walked out of the House chamber, turned their backs and booed the officers. The disgraceful behavior of Republican members is unbecoming of our institution to any guest, let alone two men charged with protecting our democracy on such a dark day in our nation’s history.”
Schlossberg said the reaction from Republican lawmakers was somewhat cynical.
“These brave men were injured trying to protect elected officials in Government Buildings, and my fellow elected officials who work in Government Buildings had the audacity to be disrespectful to men who were protecting people like them,” he said.
Dunn was pepper-sprayed and injured in a melee while defending the US Capitol on January 6. He has since set up a political action committee to support anti-Trump candidates. “This is democracy versus tyranny,” he said while campaigning in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Capital Star.
“It is sad, but not surprising, that Trump’s allies in the Pennsylvania Capitol have followed his lead in mocking the January 6th attack,” Dunn said in a statement Thursday.
“The fact that they are afraid to hear from those of us who witnessed the political violence on January 6th firsthand speaks volumes,” Dunn said.
Gonnell was punched during the storming of the Capitol, suffering injuries to both hands as he tried to stop attackers wielding PVC pipes at unhelmeted officers. After Wednesday’s walkout, the Iraq War veteran accused Pennsylvania House Republicans of “abandoning the truth” and “siding with those who attack us.”
Mariana Alfaro contributed to this report.
