The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Tribute to Capitol Custodial Staff (Executive Session)” mentioning Mazie K. Hirono was published in the Senate section on pages S115-S116 on Jan. 25.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Tribute to Capitol Custodial Staff
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, it is good to see the Senator from Hawaii as the Presiding Officer.
Madam President, I rise today to honor workers in this building--
something that Senator Hirono does every day of her life in this job--
workers in this building who are too often overlooked but whose work is essential to the functioning of our government: our Capitol custodial staff.
In the days after the January 6 insurrection, when domestic terrorists stormed this building, we rightly honored Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman and many other Capitol police officers who put their lives on the line to protect all of us, to protect our democratic process, and, essentially, to protect our democracy.
Last week, I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing legislation to award Officer Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal. He and others may well have saved our lives and protected our democracy. They did it without the support they needed from their leadership. They did it without the support from the Trump White House on down.
But those officers aren't the only ones who deserve our honor and our gratitude. They are not the only ones who put their lives on the line serving our country on January 6 or over the past year during this pandemic.
Every day, Capitol custodial staff do their jobs with skill, dedication, and dignity. They showed up for work during this pandemic even when many in this building didn't take it seriously and put those workers' health at risk by not wearing masks.
Capitol custodial workers were here on January 6, doing their jobs, when White supremacists stormed this building, barging into this Chamber, acting as though no one could ever possibly hold them accountable. Because the President was on their side, they thought they were invulnerable.
And when their rampage was over, it was largely the Black and Brown custodians who were left to restore dignity and respect to the Capitol. Their work allowed us to continue ours that night: certifying the electoral votes, securing the election and our democracy.
Many Americans were so moved to see those workers still doing their jobs. That is what service looks like. That is what love of country looks like. That is what the dignity of work is all about.
Unfortunately, it tells you a whole lot about the problems that have been allowed to fester for too long in this country: White supremacists make a mess; Black workers clean it up.
We have a lot of work to do to fix that and to ensure that hard work pays off for all workers in this country. We simply don't value and respect all work the way we should.
I think of the words of Dr. King, who, as you know, died fighting for workers, sanitation workers in Memphis. He said:
If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ``Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.''
Dr. King said:
No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.
No work is insignificant. All labor has dignity. We ought to treat it that way, starting with honoring these workers.
In the days after January 6, pictures of Capitol workers cleaning up after these terrorists were reported on the news, captured by dedicated journalists who also risked their lives to do their jobs that day. These photos struck a chord with so many people. Americans began writing thank-you letters, sending them to the Architect of the Capitol to pass on to custodial staff, to police officers, and to others.
Many of these workers are represented by AFSCME Local 626, which gives workers a voice on the job and is also working on ways to honor its members.
Members of Congress should do the same. In the coming weeks, I will be introducing a Senate resolution to recognize the Capitol custodial staff for their bravery and their service to our country on January 6. I hope my colleagues will join me--all of them--not as Republicans or Democrats but as Members of this body, as Americans all.
This Capitol is the people's House. The insurrectionists ransacked it. The Capitol custodians picked up the pieces. They deserve our eternal gratitude. To all the Capitol custodians who come to work in this building each day to ensure our democracy functions, thank you, thank you, thank you.
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