Burlington grad was working for U.S. rep during capitol riot
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
Burlington native Scott Rausch had a typical start to his day as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-New York, on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C.
Rausch, who graduated from Burlington High School in 2000, remembers being on the fifth floor of the Longworth House Office Building as he and his staff prepared Garbarino for the Congressman’s vote on certifying the Electoral College verifying Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
What happened next, however, was anything but normal for Rausch and many others near the U.S. Capitol when a mob of rioters breached the building to interfere with process of accepting Electoral College votes.
“I was doing some last-minute research when our Communications Director announced the Madison Building of the Library of Congress had been evacuated as well as the Cannon House Office Building,” he recounted.
“A short time later it was reported that pipe bombs had been found outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee buildings, which are only a block or two away from my office. Needless to say, that got our attention and we knew that something was happening.”
As Rausch and others watched the U.S. Senate enter the House Chamber for the Joint Session of Congress on closed circuit televisions broadcast in every office, Rausch and several other heard loud explosions, which he called flash bangs, sirens and loud commotion coming from outside the Capitol building.
Rausch remembered seeing his boss preparing to depart for the Capitol to join the joint session, but then noticed on television some members being escorted out of the chamber, and the broadcast soon went black.
‘Horrific and heinous acts’
The rioters, who were protesting Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump, reportedly ransacked the offices of some Congressional members, and vandalized the U.S. Capitol building.
As of Tuesday, according to reports, five people have died, including a woman shot by police as she broke into the building.
A Capitol Police Officer struck in the head with a fire extinguisher lost consciousness, national news sources state, adding a crowd of rioters had beaten him to death.
“In the aftermath of the horrific and heinous acts on Jan. 6, I continue to be furious and heartbroken about what occurred,” Rausch said. “The images of the building being torn apart, windows being bashed in, and individuals looting offices and conference rooms in a building that is normally a safe and secure place for our representatives to do the people’s business is etched in my mind forever.”
According to National Archives, the U.S. Capitol breach is a first since 1814, when the nation fought during the War of 1812.
Rausch, meanwhile, said he has the honor and privilege of serving as a staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives at three different times in his career.
“I revere the institution of the U.S. Congress and I have a deep affection for the U.S. Capitol building,” he said. “These threats and attacks are personal to me. I remain angry, saddened, and frustrated, and, yes, after such a surreal experience, a little apprehensive about future events.”
Federal authorities have since deployed 25,000 National Guard troops to protect the U.S. Capitol and other parts of Washington through Wednesday’s planned inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I have full faith in the deployed National Guard, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Washington, D.C. (police) and the U.S. Secret Service to serve and protect everyone who will be attending the Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 20,” Rausch said ahead of the event.
‘Best days are still ahead’
Rausch acknowledged he has seen and heard many people, including friends and family, state they are scared and uncertain about what lies ahead with some questioning how the nation can move forward.
But amid uncertainty, Rausch said the country can overcome, and asked everyone to have faith in democracy.
“I want everyone to know that our best days are still ahead of us, our Capitol still majestically shines on that hill, and the institutions of our Constitutional Republic continue to function as our founders intended,” he said. “I ask that everyone have faith in our representative democracy, have faith in our Republic, have faith in our Constitution, and I hope soon that we will all have a renewed faith in ourselves as Americans.”
To read the full version of this story, see the Jan. 21 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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