2 former congressmen recall Jan. 6 and what has happened since
WASHINGTON (KDKA) - Friday was the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing back difficult memories of that day to members of Congress who were present.
KDKA political editor Jon Delano spoke with two former congressmen who were there.
On that fateful Jan. 6 two years ago, then-Congressman Mike Doyle hunkered down in his office at the Capitol.
"We've been told to shelter in place," Doyle told KDKA's Jon Delano on Jan. 6, 2021.
"These protesters have breached the Capitol and they are literally steps outside the door of the House of Representatives and there are people actually in the Senate. Members in the House chamber have been ordered to hide under their desks," Doyle said at the time.
What happened next is well-known.
Lives were lost, the Capitol was trashed and over 900 insurrectionists, including 25 from this region, have been charged with crimes.
But ultimately the Electoral College vote was not stopped despite the efforts of eight Pennsylvania Republicans, including Congressman Mike Kelly and Guy Reschenthaler, who challenged the validity of Pennsylvania's vote for Joe Biden.
"I remember that after what just happened that they still had the gall to go back in there and perpetuate this lie," recalls Doyle on this anniversary.
On this second anniversary, Doyle is still angry at his colleagues who embrace the big lie that Trump won, but he says his first thoughts go to the lives lost.
"I mostly think of the families of our Capitol police and other people who worked in the House that went through hell that day," says Doyle.
Two years ago on the House floor, former Congressman Conor Lamb blamed the election deniers.
"We know that attack today, it didn't materialize out of nowhere," Lamb told his colleagues on the House floor on Jan. 6, 2021.
"It was inspired by lies, the same lies you're hearing in this room tonight. And the members who are repeating those lies should be ashamed of themselves."
Today, the former prosecutor believes Donald Trump, the chief denier, should be prosecuted.
"I do think he deserves to be prosecuted for his connection to Jan. 6, the fact that he caused it. I do believe that's going to happen at some point," says Lamb.
That, of course, is now up to the Justice Department.
Lamb says it's normal to go after the participants first before you go after the kingpin who started it.
KDKA reached out to the two Republicans, Kelly and Reschenthaler, for their recollections of Jan. 6. Neither was available.