A year after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, some lawmakers still can't believe that Congress itself came under siege.
"More and more it becomes surreal. You become a combination of angry as well as shocked," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, told NPR, standing in Statuary Hall, where rioters stormed through on their way to try to disrupt the electoral count on the House floor.
The insurrection left a mark on lawmakers, staffers, reporters and the Capitol police force, which was overwhelmed by thousands of rioters. Several people died — including police officers who succumbed to their injuries or took their lives in the aftermath. Over 700 people who breached the building have been arrested.
Jackson Lee said it has become harder to work across the aisle. She added that it's especially challenging when Republicans continue to press false claims about the 2020 election.
"I wish that we had better understanding of each other and we had more common ground for the truth," Jackson Lee said.
She presided over the House chamber at the conclusion of the electoral vote count at almost 4 a.m., after National Guard troops helped secure the building.
"That's why we should be celebrating Jan. 6 because we, as members who took an oath to the Constitution, came back and continued our count in the eye of danger."
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