he worked with officer hashida, for years.ved by everyone. there is no one in the law enforcement profession loved by everyone. most are not loved by some. he literally was that guy, who everyone loved. so much more needs to be done to normalize the conversation about mental health, not just in our profession. grappling with mental-health issues should not be deemed as weak -- as a weakness. if anything, it's a strength. why is there such stigma around mental health in the police -- and look, there's stigma around mental health in all -- you know, throughout society. but why, in policing, considering the amount of stress and, as you said, as you so eloquently laid out for us, what police officers face, the situations they face every single day? >> well, you know, it's part of the culture of policing. you know, i have been around a long time. back in my day, when i was working the street as an officer, i mean, you know, if something happened, you know, suck it up and keep moving. it didn't matter what it was. and so, you know,

hashida's death was announced today. blue lives matter, mocked, laughed, disparaged the wounds inflicted on these men. wounds of that day are going to go far beyond the 140 officers beaten with flag poles, stabbed with metal fence stakes, smashed over the head with fire extinguishers and more. the survivors told you the extent themselves last week. >> i've been left with the psychological trama and the emotional anxiety of having survived such a horrific event. >> are you someone who rolls your eyes when you hear that? just think about it. that's got to stop. a congress did something good here. they approved more than $70 million for the capitol police department including money for mental health spending. remember, i look forward to the day there is no mental health, there is only health and we see it as wholistic as it is. the department spent months ramping up a health program for the, you know, emotional affects on officers. that will be named after an officer lost to suicide. we'll never know if the pro gras made a

officer gunther hashida was found in his home last week. kyle defreytag was found dead on july 10th. you've been covering this closely. it's always a difficult issue because suicide is a very personal thing. we can't know from the outside what the direct cause was but there is a common thread between four officers and that is stress and emotional damage of january 6th. >> absolutely. i think what it highlights is that officers, not just in d.c. but all across the country, willingly run into attacks, run into trauma. they do that as part of the job. they take on the burden and that burden is immense. let me tell you about the lives of these officers. officer kyle defreytag joined metropolitan police department in 2016. officer gunther hashida joined the metropolitan police department in 2003. he was part of the emergency response team, a division within the special operations division. he was found deceased in his home july 29th. that date is significant because it is two days after his colleagues went to lawmakers to outline their trauma an

metropolitan police officer gunther hashida.e philadelphia police commissioner and cnn law enforcement analyst. my goodness, chief ramsey. let's say good evening to you but it not a good evening. thank you for joining. we're learning about the fourth officer that died but suicide. what goes through your mind when you hear this? s >> first of all, i want to offer my condolences to the officers killing themselves as well as the men and women of the department because it's tough when you lose an officer. clearly, there is a mental health issue here that we got to address. it's not just the january 6th insurrection that the officers responded to, of usuy obviously traumatic inls -- incident but day tod day trama. this adds up over time. >> are you worried about this number keeping up, rising? >> i am and i have been for a long time. i mean, there is a very high rate of suicide among police officers. and a lot of it is due to untreated trama. psychological trama that officers are exposed to on a regular basis. you know, in policing,

metropolitan police officer gunther hashida. may he rest in peace.me. hashida. same for capitol officer howard liebengood and d.c. metro officer jeffrey smith. why? all three died by suicide, after the january-6th attack. hashida's death, last week, was announced today. they had 45 years of experience, among them. yet, the same people who claimed blue lives matter mocked, laughed, disparaged the wounds inflicted on these men. wounds of that day are going to go far beyond the 140 officers beaten with flagpoles, stabbed with metal-fence stakes, smashed over the head with fire extinguishers, and more. the survivors told you the extent, themselves, last week. >> i've been left with the psychological trauma and the emotional anxiety of having survived such a horrific event. >> are you someone who rolls your eyes when you hear that? just think about it. that's gotta stop. now, congress did something good here. they approved more than $70 million for the capitol police department, including money for mental-health spending. remember, i look forward to the d

house speaker nancy pelosi said hashida was a hero who risked his life to save the capitol. another officer kyle defreytag died by suicide. >>> the biden administration is putting pressure on states and cities after a federal eviction ban expired. in a statement the white house said that it has approved more than $46 billion for rental assistance, but it said many local governments have been slow to act to distribute the money. now millions of americans face possible eviction. natali brand reports from capitol hill. >> 17, 15. >> reporter: mother of four and florida teacher jeanette herbert said she's fallen two months behind on her rent because of the pandemic. >> waiting on my income tax, that never came through. i understand the situation with the irs. because of covid they have been with less workers. >> reporter: she's now among the millions of americans who could face possible eviction after a federal moratorium expired over the weekend. >> it's not the moment when you want people couch surfing. you want people out on park benches sleeping. you want people in their hom

good to see you. >> thank you. >> we don't know exactly why officer hashida or officer defreytag took your mental health and other officers. how big of a struggle is this for officers? >> i mean, i think it's -- it's -- we're experiencing what i would describe as an epidemic of law enforcement suicides. it's a big problem. >> it's not just that, also. it's this. it's the denial of what happened to you by the very -- some of the very folks you saved. i want to put up this video. this is video, it shows how you almost died on january 6th. some republicans -- look, we don't have to play what they -- because i want to hear from mike. but you know what some republicans have said that day, their denials, mike. it's having an impact on the officers' mental health, no? >> i mean it certainly had an impact on my mental health. you know, having experienced the trauma that i did and then having people deny that it's reality. but, you know, law enforcement is an incredibly difficult profession. you know, we experience people at their worst almost all of the time. and, you know, one of the things

officer gunther hashida was assigned to the emergency response team and was found deceased at his home. the emergency response team responded to the riot at the capitol on january 6th. officer hashida is the third mpd officer to die by suicide this year. >>> overseas now, to afghanistan, and the u.s. launching air strikes daily for the past two weeks to block the taliban advances on three key cities there. all of this happening as the taliban gains ground and u.s. troops head home. and a second flight arriving here in the u.s. carrying afghan interpreters and others. here's abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell. >> reporter: tonight, afghan fighters racing to turn back the taliban onslaught as militants advance on three major cities. since america's deal to pull out, the taliban has moved rapidly. by one estimate, now controlling more than half of the country's 400 districts. civilian casualties are at record highs and hundreds of thousands are being forced from their homes. now, for the first time in this offensive, three provincial capitals are being assaulted. as we saw whe

his colleagues gunther hashida and kyle defreytag whose passing was reported just yesterday. and of course capitol police officer howard liebengood. we are also so inspired by the work of their loved ones who have come to capitol hill to fight for a 9/11-style commission to look at the insurrection and why it happened, to get to the bottom of it and to advocate for the capitol police to support their officers. it has been reported that at least 140 more officers sustained injuries from defending the capitol. the courage of these officers will be remembered forever. we responded. senator blunt and i join with senators portman and peters on the homeland security committee to meet with officials from multiple agencies and review thousands of documents. we convened major public hearings and then interviewed many, many other witnesses. our resulting bipartisan joint report focused on the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented insurrection at the capitol, and it includes key findings and recommendations that must be put in place without d

that's what this country wants us to do. >> yeah, and our thoughts and prayers go out to officer hashida's thank you very much for coming to "the reidout." >>> still ahead, as the senate races to pass its $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal, the clock may be running out on millions of americans facing eviction. >>> plus, the latest from tokyo with simone biles just hours away from her highly anticipated return to olympic competition. stay with us. stay wit h us ♪ ♪ oh, focaccia! ah, there's no place like panera. enjoy the toasty, saucy chipotle chicken avocado melt on freshly baked bread. panera. order on the app today. welcome to allstate. (phone notification) where we've just lowered our auto rates. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ and savings like that will have you jumping for joy. now, get new lower auto rates with allstate. because better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. ♪all by yourself.♪ you look a little lost. i can't find my hotel. oh. oh! ♪♪ this is not normal. no. ♪♪ so? ♪♪ right? go with us and find millions of fle

>> look, this is not about officer hashida here but it is about law enforcement.alking about, whitney? >> he's making logic jumps and let me walk you through it. it's important to know thisirac. they infiltrated these groups that were much more involved in the capitol riot but let me walk you through it. he's discussing this case out of michigan in which the fbi dismantled a group it intended to kidnap governor gretchen whitmer is a huge case that happened in october. the defense is arguing kextent f the fbi's infiltration was entrapment. so ron johnson making this jump from that case, those accusations by the defense that the fbi somehow trapped these defendants is in someways suggesting that the fbi also deeply infiltrate the the groups that went to the capitol that day. there is no evidence to suggest that the fbi knows that much more about these groups that infiltrated the capitol, that they were in any way, you know, part of that attack as some people on the right and some people in conservative media asserted. there is no evidence to suggest that. it remains

officer gunther hashida joined the department in 2003. he was assigned to the emergency response team with the special operations division. he was found deceased at his home on july 29th. officer michael fanone, honoring officer hashida who he knew well in a statement overnight he wrote, gunther was the most profession mall police officer that i have ever worked with in my entire career. i have always felt that way. for me the take away is that so much more needs to be done to normalize the conversation around mental health, not just in our profession. we need to take away the stigma of talking about these issues. a total at this point of four officers, john, have died by suicide here in the weeks and months since the attack. >> and as fanone mentioned, stigma, remember, just last week, he and three fellow officers gave emotional testimony about their harrowing experience defending the capitol on january 6th. he was met by ridicule and mocking from right wing media. >> i'm having a real hard time believing a lot of what i'm hearing becaus

speaker of the house nancy pelosi released a statement saying, quote, officer hashida was a hero, whodemocracy. all americans are indebted to him for his great valor and patriotism on january 6th, and throughout his selfless service. again, he is the third officer to die by suicide. 51-year-old capitol police officer howard liebengood died by suicide three months after the riot. metro police officer, 35-year-old jeffrey smith, less than a month later. last week, we learned an excruciating detail about what the officers went through to protect the capitol, that day. and in some instances, what they are, still, going through. >> for most people, january 6th happened for a few hours. but for -- but for those of us who were -- were in the thick of it, it has not ended. that day continue to be a constant trauma for us, literally, every day. whether because our physical or emotional injuries or both. >> in the immediate aftermath of the attack, it was impossible to sweep what had happened under the rug. even wide swaths of corporate america, which is, of course, inclined towards business as

dc's metropolitan police department says officer gunther hashida was found dead in his home thursday.fficers howard liebengood, kyle defreytag, and jeffrey smith also took their own lives in the wake of the assault by a mob incited by then-president trump. more than 100 officers were injured. a warning to our viewers: this headline contains graphic footage of police violence. in florida, five miami beach police officers haveeen criminally charged after they were filmed repeatedly kicking and bodyslamming a black man in handcuffs, before brutally assaulting a bystander who filmed t incident. the bystander, 28-year-old khalid vaughn hafaced charges of impeding a police investigation and resisting arrest with violence, but those charges were dropped when video showed he posed no threat to the officers who assaulted him. new york governor andrew cuomo was questioned for 11 hours by investigators from the state attorney general's office looking into sexual harassment allegations against him. that's according to the new york times which reported the meeting , took place in cuomo's office la

also in july was the death by suicide of officer gun gunther hashida, he died july 29th, two days after two of his colleagues, two members of the capitol police department went to congress to outline the trauma they experienced on the day of the capitol insurrection. during that congressional testimony, officers made an urgent plea for more mental health resources as evidenced by the growing number of officers who are taking their own lives, mental health help for police is literally a matter of life and death. it just so happens that officer mike fanone, someone you may see on our air happened to know officer gunther. >> gunther was the most professional police officer. so much more needs to be done to normalize the conversation around mental health not just in our profession. we need to take away the stigma of talking about these issues. this is a heartbreaking development, and we can't know in this moment what role responding to the insurrection might have played. suicide is as personal as it is complicated. however, this is now this heartbreaking string that threads these four men t

we don't know why officer hashida took his own life.w that the capitol police or the d.c. police, for that matter, have been under enormous stress and trauma, as whitney just reported, since the january 6th attack. how hard is it to hear this news? >> well, it's heartbreaking, wolf. and i think the number of police suicides across the country is astronomically high. and the third one after the january 6th event i think makes it doubly difficult as those officers are working now in trying to reconcile how they deal with that. and i think the testimony of officer dunn when he was speaking to fellow officers to reach out and try to get help. and i think maybe part of this, wolf, and dana, is the police officers nationwide and out there have had a summer and fall of disconnect besides the long hours they were working because of all the absences with the covid but all the disorders that have been in the greater area of d.c. and, again, across the country has simply worn these officers out mentally and physically. >> we know the important wor

the department says special operations officer gunther hashida was found dead in his home last thursday and officer kyle defreytag was found dead july 10. that makes a total of four officers who have died by suicide since the riot. >> clearly there is a mental health issue here that we've got to address. it is not just the january 6th sflur insurrection that the officers responded to. obviously that was a very traumatic incident. but it is just the day to day policing and the trauma that they are exposed to a regular basis especially in those cities with high rates of gun violence and so forth. >> brian sicknick suffered two strokes and died a day after the insurrection. >>> and the rush of simone biles after withdrawing from the all-around competition and three event finals, the star gymnast is competing with the balance beam final. blake essig is live outside the gymnastics site. i got the alert that the balance beam final has begun. what do we know? >> reporter: simone biles' quest for gold is happening. the balance beam final is taking place as we speak right behind me. and of cours

i knew officer hashida very well. i worked with him for almost two decades.ivilege of working with. it's been devastating, not just to me, not just to the mpd community, but also to the first district and the officers that he worked so closely with, and then obviously his family. >> is there a problem for the police officers here in the metropolitan police force of washington, d.c. to access the proper counseling, to get the mental health sfervices that yo really do need from time to time? >> the resource is there. we have a wonderful program. dr. beverly anderson is the most dedicated mental health official i've ever worked with. she's been with our department for over three decades. she cares deeply. ever since january 6, we've had an unprecedented amount of officers seeking help in dealing with the trauma, not just that they sustained from the 6th, but what's really been culminating for years of, you know, villainization of law enforcement and, you know, the struggles that those officers, you know, deal with in their daily tasks and their personal lives an

we know that officer gunther hashida joined the department in 2003.as assigned to the emergency response team, a division within the special operations division. both men according to the metropolitan police department responded to the capitol, both men took their own lives in the month of july. we can't know all of the conditions that would lead someone to such a tragic decision, however, they now join this list of men who share this one terrible day in common which was responding to the capitol. the other officers who took their own lives following their response to that attack, officer jeffrey smith, also a metropolitan police department officer, and officer liebengood. this is tragic and the news follows calls from their own colleagues who went to lawmakers in late july last week to tell them about the extensive trauma they underwent on the day of the insurrection and to call for more resources and to remind officers that if they need help they must seek it. it is a reminder of the immense burden law enforcement takes on, takes on willingly when t

officer gunter hashida, u.s. capitol police officer howard liebengood, and d.c.atic congressman jason crow, who, of course, witnessed all of the rioting and the violence firsthand. i appreciate you joining us. we don't know the specifics of these officers' suicides, but we know based on testimony from other members of law enforcement who were there about the brutality and the trauma of the insurrection. as someone who lived through that day, someone who served the country as an army ranger, what are your thoughts on this moment and your messages tonight to the families of those officers? >> yeah, thanks, john, for having me on. first, just terribly heartbreaking for these officers and their families that are now dealing with the loss of a loved one. and what this shows is that people can't move on from this type of trauma. you know, you just can't sweep this under the rug. you can't expect people to move on like some of my colleagues want to try to do. this sticks with people. when you are in a situation like this and as dark of a day this was and as brutal as th

speaker the house nancy pelosi said quote, officer hashida is the third officer to die by suicide.. and jeffrey smith died less than a month later. last week, we learned an excruciating detail about with the officers went through to protect the capitol that day and in some instances what they are still going through. >> for most people, january 6th happened for a few hours. for those of us who were in the thick of it, it is not ended. no they continue to be a constant trauma for us every day. our physical or emotional injuries, or both. >> it was impossible to sweep what happened here under the rug. axios is inclined towards business as usual, that's how they operate. bunched took a step back and saying they would suspend -- the goal of the insurrection which was a free and fair election. they've come back to funding these people. as you can see from the start, industry groups took back -- political back and maine are the ones who voted against the elections on the republican stand. general dynamics, the nurse toyota who resume donations back in february saying in february sayin pr

officer guenther hashida would have turned 44 years old on thursday.ic was a veteran of the force for five years and he was just 26 years old. joining us is ken delanian. what resources have been made available to these first responders from the january 6th capitol riot? the reason i asked the question is one of the things we heard from those four officers who testified before that first hearing of the january 6th committee was they needed more mental health services, they needed more paid leave for time away to process what they went through. >> that's a great question. the rate of suicide among police officers is higher than the general population. d.c. police have not said whether they believe these latest cases were related to the capitol riot. officers have said that police who fought on january 6th suffered mental as well as health issues. officer michael fanone said he has ptsd. all four officers made it clear they are still dealing with mental trauma. they said they have access to counselling but we don't know the extent of the treatment they'r

>> reporter: well, victor, what we know is that officer gunther hashida joined the department in 2003 u.s. capitol on january 6th. the department, i want to make absolutely clear, the department has not drawn any connection between his responding to the u.s. capitol and his eventual death by suicide, but what this does, victor, remind us of is that law enforcement is an incredibly difficult job. it comes with a very heavy burden. we can't know, ever, what the complicated circumstances are behind suicide. it's impossible to just say it was one reason. but i think it is, again, important to know that these officers undergo trauma on january 6th, they undergo trauma many days of their professional career when they serve in uniform. the department telling us today that they are grieving as a department and their thoughts and prayers are with the officer's family and friends. victor, this is the third officer who responded to the capitol who died by suicide. u.s. capitol officer howie as well as mpd officer jeffery smith both responded to the day of the insurrection, and both eventually to

we send our condolences to officer hashida's friends and family.d one has contemplated suicide, call the national suicide prevention life line at 1-800-273-8255. or text "talk" to 741741. we'll be right back. and new ways for them to reach you... is what business is all about. it's what the united states postal service has always been about. so as your business changes, we're changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide. same day shipping across town. returns right from the doorstep, and deliveries seven days a week. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting. riders, the lone wolves of the great highway. all they need is a bike and a full tank of gas. their only friend? the open road. i have friends. [ chuckles ] well, he may have friends, but he rides alone. that's jeremy, right there! we're literally riding together. he gets touchy when you talk about his lack of friends. can you help me out here? no matter why you ride, progressive has you covered with protection star

s metropolitan police department, and this first one was beguner this hashida, ab18-year veteran mosto the department's tactical unit, found dead at home last thursday, a week before his 44th birthday. he was among the officers who responded to the capitol during the riot. officer michael fanone who has spoken about his brutal treatment said this "he was the most dedicated police officer i had the privilege to work with. he loved his job, and his passion was unmatched." the police have also disclosed another metropolitan officer kyle defreytag was found dead three weeks ago july 10th, 26, been on the force for five years. he was assigned to capitol duty to enforce a can you are few. the police j not said whether they believe the suicides were related to the riots. three metropolitan police officer and one u.s. capitol police officer who responded to the capitol january 6th that died from suicide and of course police officer brian sicknick of the capitol police died after suffering two massive strokes the day after the capitol siege. if i could say one other economy about the executive

officerer gunther hashida who joined the d.c. in his apartment on thursday. and we honor the work he and his fellow officers did when the country needed him most. same cannot be said for wisconsin senator and serial insurrection minimizer, ron johnson, who is at it, again. this time, according to a video obtained by "the washington post," he is insinuating the fbi knew more about the attack than we know, which is odd, considering he is on record downplaying the attack, itself. his comments came after a local-political event over the weekend. he says in part, and i quote, so you think the fbi had fully infiltrated the militias in michigan but they don't know squat about what was happening on january 6th or what was happening with these groups? i'd say, there's way more to the story. just one of a number of things tonight to talk about with connecticut democrat senator chris murphy. senator murphy, thanks for being with us. for a sitting-u.s. senator to suggest that about the fbi and the insurrection, what -- what is -- i mean, wha

this news of another suicide coming shortly after we learned about the suicide of officer gunter hashidaropolitan police department in 2003. also d.c. police officer jeffrey smith who was a 12-year veteran of the force and u.s. capitol police officer howard liebengood who was a 16-year capitol police veteran all now have died from suicide. up front now sandra garza, the long time partner of partner brian sicknick who was attacked by protesters outside the capitol on january 6th and later died. so, sandra, there are four officers now who have died by suicide. four. i struggle to comprehend this. it is so awful. and i know you have been in contact with the wife of one of these officers that we have found out about. how can you explain what has happened? >> well, first, i want to say my heart goes out to the pentagon police officers' family. it's a tragedy what happened today. and, yes, you're right. this is horrible. clearly, we are facing an epidemic here. this is something that the majority of republicans can no longer deny. the insurrection was brutal. it was callous. it was demoralizin

police officer gunther hashida was found at his home on thursday.with the special operations division that helped protect the capitol that day. we also learned that officer kyle defreytag, who is also the d.c. metro police force, died on the 10th. he was just 26 years old and had been with the department since november of 2016. just days after the january 6 attack, two other officers died by suicide. their families said their deaths were the result of the capitol riot. more than 100 officers from d.c. and capitol police were injured defending the capitol that day. >> and, you know, willie, when you look at what these officers have done, what they've been through, the hell that they've been through, being beaten up and brutalized by americans, people who claim to love this country, getting beaten and brutalized with an american flag, you looked at the testimony last week, could see the trauma that was evident in their face from what they went through. and still being mocked and ridiculed by a small percentage of people, but people who, my god, just h

officer gunther hashida was found dead at his home according to dc police on thursday. he was assigned to the emergency response team. according to the obituary, he died just shy of his 44th birthday. officer kyle deprytag was found dead. i recently spoke with d.c. police officer michael fanone about the impacts of the insurrection on him. >> how has it affected you now? >> there was a time where i dealt with severe and i still experience severe depression, you know, almost debilitating. early on i had bouts of just absolute rage. i think that was like the overwhelming emotion that i experienced, like pretty early on. or just like unbelievable sadness. almost unexplained at the time. you know -- >> the justice department has charged more than 550 people in relation to the attack on the capitol on january 6th and the house select committee is continuing its investigation into what happened. gayle. >> thank you very much, kris. >>> turning to climate change and the worsening drought, more than 46% of the state of california is considered to be in exceptional drought. that

speaker pelosi issued a statement about hashida, who called him a hero. d.c. police also confirming that officer kyle defrietag was found on january 10th. officer harry dunn spoke specifically about the ongoing trauma to officers who responded that day. >> i'm now receiving private counseling, therapy for persistent, emotional trauma of that day. i've also participated in many peer support programs with fellow law enforcement officers from around the united states. i know so many other officers continue to hurt, both physically and emotionally. i want to take this moment to speak to my fellow officers about the emotions they're continues to experience from the events of january 6th. there's nothing wrong with seeking professional counseling. what we went through that day was traumatic. if you are hurting, please take advantage of the counseling services that are available to us. >> his fellow officer, mike an fanone, has described in very visit terms the terror he experienced. >> i was aware enough to recognize i was at risk of being stripped of and killed by

6th insurrection, and to the families of capitol police officer howard leak liebengood and deputy hashidae willing to pretend that january 6th was anything but an attempt to overthrow the government is deplorable. i'm jonathan capehart, this has been "the sunday show." capehar been "the sunday show. breyers is always so delicious... i can tell that they used your milk, matilda. great job! moo you're welcome. breyers natural vanilla is made with 100% grade a milk and cream and only sustainably farmed vanilla. better starts with breyers. ♪ ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪ did you know that your toughest cleaning problems can be caused by hard water metals?as-a-service. they lock in residues like a glue, on your hard surfaces and fabrics. try 9 elements. its vinegar powered deep clean dissolves hard water buildup and releases trapped residues and odors like detoxifying your clothes. made with never more than 9 ingredients. 9 elements - more than a clean, a cleanse. with relapsin

officer --, officer jeffrey smith of the metropolitan police department mpd officer gunther , hashidametropolitan officer kyle defreytag, and officer billy evans. you are well aware of his passing. but just two more lost their lives in recent days. so we are very, very sad. also i want to mention u.s. capitol police officers kenneth shaver, who was seriously injured in the good friday attack on the capitol. you all know that january 6 was a day of extraordinary tragedy for our country. it's a day determined in the constitution to be where the congress of the united states certifies the election of the president of the united states, and for that reason, that day was the target day for groups to come to the capitol to try to impede that congressional that , that constitutional action. so again, with all that transpired, i know, i know how fortunate we are to have the bravery, the patriotism of our capitol police. they are so remarkable. i am so sad that it took a tragedy of this nature for the recognition to be given to them. and so i say to them in accepting this gold-medal, you bring

to the friends and families of officers hashida and frytag, we are so sorry for your loss. we grieve with you. we will honor their memory. to all of the other police officers and national guard members who defended the capitol on january 6, despite what you hear from some of the politicians in congress, we thank you and we appreciate your valor and your sacrifice. earlier this morning, senators klobuchar and blunt introduced a bipartisan resolution to award these heroes the congressional gold medal. i'm proud to support that effort. mr. president, on one more topic, forever chemicals. it's a phrase that sounds ambiguous and ominous. some of these pollutants, known as pfas chemicals, are used in cleaning supplies, stain-resistant clothing, cosmetic, polishes, waxes and the kind of foam that firefighters use to fight fires. although they have practical applications, these forever chemicals present a major problem -- they don't go away. they don't break down. once they're introduced into the environment, they stick around forever. and a growing body of research suggests that f

his colleagues gunther hashida and kyle defreytag whose passing was reported just yesterday. and of course capitol police officer howard liebengood. we are also so inspired by the work of their loved ones who have come to capitol hill to fight for a 9/11-style commission to look at the insurrection and why it happened, to get to the bottom of it and to advocate for the capitol police to support their officers. it has been reported that at least 140 more officers sustained injuries from defending the capitol. the courage of these officers will be remembered forever. we responded. senator blunt and i join with senators portman and peters on the homeland security committee to meet with officials from multiple agencies and review thousands of documents. we convened major public hearings and then interviewed many, many other witnesses. our resulting bipartisan joint report focused on the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented insurrection at the capitol, and it includes key findings and recommendations that must be put in place without d