Rep. Conor Lamb reflects on Capitol riot and aftermath as he departs office

As U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb’s tenure comes to a close, he has not been able to shake the memory of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

“On that day, it just felt like an attack on our country,” he said.

The Democrat from Mt. Lebanon will be leaving office come the new year, and in his farewell speech on House of Representatives’ floor last week, Lamb emphasized a moment that put his time in Congress in immense perspective.

“Other people had to fight for us to be able to do what we do in here. And on that first day, I had no idea that within less than three years the D.C. police and the Capitol police would have to fight for us again,” Lamb said in his speech, referencing the insurrection on the Capitol. “Right here, that hundreds of them would be injured. That some would even give their lives just so that we could walk back in that night and do our job.”

The Capitol riot seemed to have changed Lamb’s rhetoric while serving in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District, which includes Beaver County and many Allegheny County suburbs.

When Lamb first came into office after an upset victory in 2018, he struck a moderate chord and boosted bipartisanship efforts. He had won a district that former President Donald Trump won by 20 points.

The day following the Capitol riot, Lamb took to the House floor and excoriated Trump and the thousands of people who stormed the Capitol.

It was one of the first times he had publicly been so animated, and especially calling out Trump and his allies.

In an interview with the Tribune-Review, Lamb said he noticed the prevalence of Trump flags and Confederate battle flags that were carried by the mob. He said he felt compelled to speak so passionately because of a build up of several actions where “Trump tried to subvert our democracy during his presidency.”

Lamb said when he took to the House floor on Jan. 7, 2021, he felt more patriotic than political.

“I was seeing these people physically and literally attack the Capitol,” he said. “And they were doing it with what felt to me like a foreign flag.”

After an unsuccessful run for Senate in 2022, Lamb couldn’t seek re-election for his House seat, which will be filled by Congressman-elect Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall. Lamb is joining a personal injury law firm and has hinted at his interest in re-entering politics.

His farewell speech wasn’t only about Jan. 6. He also praised accomplishments, like how the $1.2 trillion infrastructure act will help keep the Midland Nuclear Power Plant open and sustain thousands of jobs. He also said the funds were crucial in rebuilding the Fern Hollow Bridge, which opened Thursday, less than a year from its collapse.

Although Lamb has been known to make his disagreements with progressives very public, and often calling out left-wing politicians in national newspapers, he said he was impressed with how united Democrats became during the 2022 midterm elections.

He still believes there will be disagreements between progressives and moderates that can splinter the party, but he has been buoyed by the Democrats’ ability to come together.

“I am not asking the left wing to fade away. Can we show the public more about what we agree on, instead of more than what we disagree on?” said Lamb.

In the end, Lamb expressed optimism about how Congress and Americans responded following the riot. He said Congress should be confident that it can protect democracy and Americans will support politicians who stand for it.

“We can take confidence in the fact that this institution did its job on Jan. 7, hours after being attacked on Jan. 6,” Lamb said during his farewell speech. “And we can take confidence in the fact that since then our fellow Americans have continued to reject so many candidates around the country who are not committed to this democracy.”