>> the cameras now inside the u.s. capitol going dark for a few minutes as the member mrial service ms -- memorial service comes to a close. the chamber being prepared for officer evans' body to lay in memorial today. here's a portion of today's memorial service. chaplain kibben: would you pray with me. eternal god, descend from your heavens and sanctify this place. for the haloed tall is stained with our tears, it's lufter gulled by our grief. this tragedy has scarred our souls with anger, confusion, fear, and deep sadness. be among us in this moment for we have lost a son, a father, a friend, and a partner, office wimmer "billy" evans, and we

need the strength of your everlasting arms and the comfort of your holy spirit to abide with us in our grief. we pray that you would speak into our pain. allow us to hear your tender voice in the words spoken. the tributes offered, and the prayers lifted in billy's honor. soothe our sorrow with the indelible memories of good times shared with him, evidence of the blessings of a life well lived and well loved. shine yaur light into the gloom of death's shadow. may it shed courage and consolation upon officer evans' mother, janice, his children, logan and abigail, and their mother, shannon in the sure and certain hope of the eternity you have promised. we commend them this service to your will and your servant

william to your keeping. in your strong and holy name we pray. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. ladies and gentlemen, the honorable charles e-schumer, majority leader of the united states senate. to the family, my colleagues, members -- senator schumer: to the family, my colleagues, and members of the capitol police force.

billy would say but you already did? to know billy evans was to know, to borrow there shakes sphere, a fell of infin net guest. his childhood friends will tell you that billy capitalized literally on every opportunity for a joke. his college crew, as he called them, would add that he could be a prankster. his bowling crew and his band crew would say just the same. he was one of many crews. one you would be stationed with on a lazy summer day. the first pick of an afternoon of legos and light saber due

else. of course not all of his jokes were winners. had he his share of bad dad jokes. some were just random. if a fellow officer asked billy what he was up to he would be libel to reply just thinking about my ideal weight if i was eight feet tall. a fell -- fellow of infinite guess -- guest who -- jest who brought joy and laughter out of life's smallest moments. returning to that lost touris for the moment. of course officer evans would not leave the poor guy hanging. now let me ask you a question, would he say. how can i help? summing up his life's mission in those four simple words. how can i help? how can i help my country? join the capitol police force. how can i help my colleagues? volunteer to join the first

responders unit. and on an unseasonably cold day in early april, that innate impulse to ask how can i help had--- had billy running towards danger. a reflex. as natural and as automatic as breath to put the safety and happiness of others before his own. we were all shocked by the senselessness of this loss. to his sister, julie, his mother, janice, who i was able to speak with last week. to shannon, my heart breaks for you. it does. 20 billy's beloved children, logan, abigail i want you to know that we are forever indebted to your dad. we are remember his sacrifice and your sacrifice forever.

april to billy's friends on the capitol police force, these past few months have been devastating. just as the scars of january 6 had begun to heal, another wound had opened. i say to you now, our dear capitol police force who protect us, there is no shame in grief and sorrow and shock, we grieve with you. we feel that shock and sorrow with you. and we will heal together with you. to everyone else gathered here i have two things to ask of you. first, if i see an officer today, be like billy and ask yourself how can i help? be like billy and be a comfort to all who are loss. to all who continue to recover

from wounds seen and unseen in the wake of these tragedies. and second, second, i ask all of you to keep his memory alive. in the jewish faith we say, may their memory be a blessing. a blessing is something we remember and share and speak allowed. -- aloud. those of you who remember billy need to speak his name, tell his stories, tell his jokes, even the bad ones. especially the bad ones. to keep his memory alive. to make sure his young children grow up knowing their dad, remembering him as the hero and loving father he was. today we are hollow with loss, but one day billy's memory will

feel like a blessing. if, through all of life's tragedies, billy could search every moment for that spark of joy, so can we. rest in peace, william. may your memory be a blessing. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosier, of the united states house of representatives. -- pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives. ms. pelosi: mr. president, members of billy's family,

including the members of the capitol police who are here, it is my official and sad honor to welcome you as well as billy's many friends, colleagues, and loved ones to the capitol to honor his life. this observance is elevated by the presence of the members of the capitol police, leaders from the district of columbia, including mayor bowser and the metropolitan police departments, and we thank you for your service. members of the administration, the attorney general, the chairman of the joint chiefs, and the president of the united states. we all acknowledge officer evans' capitol police family and thank them every chance we get. and we include in that recognition officer kenneth shaver, american hero.

we thank officer craig atkinson for his heroism here with his wife. that the officers with whom billy served were sitting among his family today is a testament to the special bond billy had with that force. most importantly we are blessed to be with officer evans' family, his mother, janice, his children, logan an abigail, and their mother shannon and sister julia. thank you for giving congress the honor of paying tribute to billy evans today. officer evans temperature strides a pantheon of heroes who have given their lives to defend this capitol, including on january 6. brian sicknick, howard

liebengood, jeffrey smith, also christopher, clinton holtz, jacob chestnut, and john gibson some years ago. as we promise to remember we carry them in our hearts forever. twice in two months have many of us been brought together here in the capitol rotunda united in grief to mourn the life and loss of heroes in uniform. just months after the january 6 assault on our democracy, the men and women of the capitol police were again called to duty . on april 2, officer evans answered that call in giving his life to protect the capitol and our country. he became a martyr for our democracy. officer evans, a catholic, was killed on good friday, the

saddest day of the year for many people of faith. his sacrifice recalls scripture. greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends. officer billy evans was a hero whose life was distinguished by dedication to our country, including 18 years on the capitol police force. he represented the best of public service, selflessness, sacrifice, and shear courage in the face of the threat to our nation. when people spoke of officer evans they said things like he loved being a capitol police officer more than anyone could really say. and he carried the badge everywhere. he was just so proud. but what billy was most proud of was his family. his absolute devotion to his

family was legendary. when i spoke to his mother following the tradgedirks i asked how she was doing and she said my concern is for the children. for logan and for abigail. i hope that it's a comfort to logan and abgallon, i see they have their cozies with them there, but i hope it is also a comfort to them that their father, an american hero, is lying where abraham lincoln lay. many of us have heard billy's friends talk about his favorite part of the day was returning home from work to see his children's faces light up with joy. how billy loved sharing with them his love for sports, particularly boston sports. how each day was an adventure whether play fighting with light sabers as the leader mentioned,

building cities of legos, and enjoying the magic of harry potter series. everyone who knew billy knew he was a hero on the capitol police force and in his family. it is our hope that with this tribute the american, too, will know and remember the truth. logan and abgallon, no words are adequate. we can only iimagine your sadness -- imagine your sadness, we hope it's a comfort to you that so many now know about your dad and know that he is a hero. his name will always be on our lips and his memory in our hearts. and that the president of the united states is picking up one of your distractions. may it be a comfort is looking

after your toys. as everyone mourn your loss and pray for you including the president of the united states here today to offer words in tribute to billy. we also hope this is a tribute a comfort to capitol police who have endured a horrific and heartbreaking several months. as we grieve the passing of officer evans and all who have given their lives to defend the capitol and the contry, we are moved by the courage, grace, and -- country, we are moving by the courage, grace, and resilience wisconsin each member of the force has met this moment and continues to serve our nation. thank you. may god bless the united states capitol police force and all who work to keep our nation safe. and may god bless america. thank you to the family of billy evans for giving us this honor to pay tribute to a true american hero. thank you.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable joseph r. biden jr., president of the united states. president biden: madam speaker, majority leader schumer, minority leader mccarthy, my

friend minority leader mcconnell, members of congress chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, attorney general, mayor bowser, all the capitol hill police and all that are here to pay tribute to this capital policeman who fell in the line of duty. acting chief pittman and men and women of the capitol police force, i am sorry. the second time in two months we have had such a ceremony. you know, i did not know billy, but i knew billy. i grew up with billies. in scranton, pennsylvania.

billy was a kid, who if you were outnumbered in a fight three to one, he would jump in. knowing you both would get beat up. he was the one who always kept his word. if he said he would be there, he would be there. he was the one who, just like the folks i grew up with, he was not capable of saying no, when you needed him. you know, just like you, officer kenny, who was injured in the attack with billy. never has there been more strain. i have been here since 1972 as a u.s. senator. so much responsibility placed on

the shoulders of capitol hill police. you hear it, you see it. you watch them do their duty with pure courage and not complain. you know, sergeant kyle king, i'm sorry that you had to make the call, that telephone call. that every family dreads when they have a son or daughter, husband, wife, brother, sister in uniform. every morning they pin that badge on, go to work, and they expect to come home. in the back of your minds you never get that call. you knew billy since grade school. i think it was the fourth

grade. i have to deal with all the guys i grew up knowing and fourth grade. when one passes away, the other has too much information about you, too much to leave behind, but you know, i am sure all those memories of north adams and clarksburg, never changed who billy was. he was defined by his dignity, decency, loyalty, and courage. mom, that's because you and his dad. that's how it happened. not by accident. miss evans, you have some idea of what you're feeling like. i buried two of my children. 7people have come up to you and

will come up to you for some time saying, i know how you feel. they will say that to the kids. they'll say that to his wife. and after a while, you know everybody means well, if you're like -- you have no idea. but the truth is that the time will come, i promise you. not believable now. when a a memory, a fragrance, a scene, a circumstance, the way his son tilts his head the way he did when he was that age,it will bring back the memory.

for the longest time, it will feel like that moment, then -- that memory. it will feel like you got the phone call just that moment ago. there will be people celebrating life. as much as you appreciate it, all of you, it also is hard, you relive everything again. you know, i got a phone call when i first got here and lost part of my family. from a person i never knew or met, the former governor of new jersey, who was literally 45 years my senior. he told me that he knew how i felt. i did not say anything.

he said, i know what you are thinking, but i did know. i used to come home. i was the attorney general of new jersey before i was governor, and i would come home for lunch because i lived across the green from my office. one day a woman came running across saying, she is gone, she is gone. his wife had an aneurysm. he said, you know what i did, i kept --i got graph paper and four months out i put the month on it, a horizontal line, and the date, and the month. the vertical line, i put numbers one to 10. 10 would be the happiest day and one would be the moment i got the phone call. every night before i go to bed i

put a dot on that day. he said do not look at it for three or four months. you will look at it and put it on a graph. the downs are just as far down, but they get further and further apart. you are going to make it by holding each other together. most importantly, by holding logan and abigail as tightly as you can. as long as you have then, you have billy. as long as you have them, you know my prayer for all of you is that a day will come when you have that memory that will make you smile.

i promise it will come, it just takes a while. but when it comes, you will know because he is still with you. he is still in your heart. losing a son, daughter, brother, sister -- it is like losing a piece of your soul. it is buried deep, but it comes back. there is a great quote that was read when my son, who was a chief law enforcement officer in the state of delaware came back from iraq. after a year and he died. i read this poem it says when

will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to faith. when honors scorns compromise with death, this is heroism. your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero. he was a hero it is in your blood. my prayer for you is that the moment and the smile comes before the tear quicker than longer. thank you.

>> certainly the capitol rotunda will be open for tributes to officer billy evans. his body to lay in honor for the remainder of the day today until about 6:30 eastern. members of the u.s. capitol police and members of congress invited to pay their respects. officer evans was killed and his partner injured in an attack on the capitol complex. took place on april 2, his assailant was killed at the scene. officers evans was 41 years old. we take you now inside to the rotunda where his body will lay in honor until late this afternoon.