Sen. Sherrod Brown says ‘domestic terrorists destroyed’ and ‘Black and brown custodians cleaned up’ in speech honoring custodial workers on Jan. 6 anniversary

• Sen. Sherrod Brown honored Capitol custodial workers in a speech on the anniversary of January 6, 2021.
• “Domestic terrorists destroyed,” Brown said. “Black and brown custodians cleaned up.”
• Brown introduced a resolution seeking to improve work conditions and rights for the workers.

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio delivered a speech on Thursday, honoring US Capitol custodial workers who were in harm’s way and who cleaned up the havoc left behind by rioters during the insurrection on January 6, 2021.

“These terrorists gouged someone’s eyes out, they killed a Capitol Police Officer and injured 140 others, they threatened to kill the Vice President, they brought a noose to the Capitol and paraded symbols of white supremacy like the Confederate flag, they brought equipment to take hostages,” Brown said in the speech.

“They have shown up for work during this pandemic, for nearly two years,” Brown told Congress. “Their work allowed us to continue ours that night, certifying the electoral votes and securing our democracy.”

Just over a week after the storming of the Capitol, Insider spoke with Black and brown custodial staff at the Capitol who described the experience as “degrading.”

“Domestic terrorists destroyed,” Brown said. “Black and brown custodians cleaned up.”

Sen. Brown added that the building “wouldn’t function without them,” and called on Congress to adopt a joint resolution introduced by him and Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Chuck Schumer, Bob Casey, and Cory Booker, which calls for “higher pay, collective bargaining rights, paid sick and vacation leave, and comprehensive health insurance with mental health resources” for the workers.

Though more than 730 people have so far been charged for their roles in the attack on the Capitol, and investigations continue, Trump loyalists in the Republican Party continue to downplay what happened 12 months ago when Congress was supposed to certify Joe Biden as president-elect. 

In October 2021, Insider created a comprehensive and vivid account of the January 6 riot, compiled from interviews with 34 lawmakers, journalists, photojournalists, law-enforcement officers, Capitol Hill staff, and others. They shared the details of that day, where split-second decisions may have saved their lives.