Following the important, strong speeches Thursday morning from Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, Senate and House Democrats marked the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, with speeches and a moment of silence. Republicans, except Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, chose to skip it.
“Today, one year ago, the Capitol and those who work within it were targeted in a violent insurrection that sought to undermine democracy,” Pelosi said. “As we acknowledge the horror of that day, we honor the heroism of so many, particularly U.S. Capitol Police, institutional staff, Floor, Leadership, Committee, and Member staff.” She continued with a call to action by Congress to restore democracy. “Today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding as any the previous generations of leadership have faced,” she said. “Since the Jan. 6 insurrection, there have been continued assaults on our democracy, undermining the sanctity of the vote and the integrity of our elections, which are the basis of our democracy.”
Concluding her remarks, she commemorated “our fallen heroes of that day, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, Metropolitan Officer Jeffrey Smith, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Billy Evans, of a later assault,” and led those present in a moment of silence in their memory. Members later participated in an event that included testimonials from individual members and a panel discussion with historians Doris Kerns Goodwin and Jon Meacham.
Democratic members of the Senate held the floor Thursday, remembering the day, those who protected them, and like Pelosi, calling for a renewed commitment to protecting democracy. In his remarks, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned, “When democracies are in danger, it often starts with a mob. That’s what happened one year ago, here in this building: a mob attack.”
“And for mob violence to win the day, it doesn’t need everyone to join in; it just needs a critical mass of people to stay out of the way, to ignore it, to underestimate it, to excuse it, and even condone it,” he continued. “The mob can start out as a small number, but if it’s allowed to grow, and leaders egg on the mob, encourage it, it can become poison. That is what Donald Trump is doing, as even his response to President Biden’s speech today showed.”
“We must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, so that our country’s destiny is determined by the voice of the people, and not by the violent whims of lies and even mob rule,” Schumer said. “We must also guard against the false hopes of solutions that don’t deal with the problem, that try to cover it up or push it away because some people don’t want to deal with it. Some say the answer lies in doing the bare minimum, like reforming the Electoral Count Act that my friend the Republican Leader has floated in recent days.”
“Let the anniversary of Jan. 6 forever serve as a reminder that the march to perfect our Democracy is never over, that our democracy is a precious, sometimes fragile gift purchased by those who struggled before us, and that all of us now must do our part to keep the American vision going in the present and into the future,” Schumer concluded.
Fellow Democrats continued to stress the importance of passing critical voting rights and elections reforms.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota:
Dean of the Senate, Vermont’s Patrick Leahy:
Majority Whip Dick Durbin:
Both bodies will be out for the remainder of the week, returning Monday to a major push in the Senate to break the filibuster on the Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement acts.
“Today, one year ago, the Capitol and those who work within it were targeted in a violent insurrection that sought to undermine democracy,” Pelosi said. “As we acknowledge the horror of that day, we honor the heroism of so many, particularly U.S. Capitol Police, institutional staff, Floor, Leadership, Committee, and Member staff.” She continued with a call to action by Congress to restore democracy. “Today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding as any the previous generations of leadership have faced,” she said. “Since the Jan. 6 insurrection, there have been continued assaults on our democracy, undermining the sanctity of the vote and the integrity of our elections, which are the basis of our democracy.”
Concluding her remarks, she commemorated “our fallen heroes of that day, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, Metropolitan Officer Jeffrey Smith, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Billy Evans, of a later assault,” and led those present in a moment of silence in their memory. Members later participated in an event that included testimonials from individual members and a panel discussion with historians Doris Kerns Goodwin and Jon Meacham.
Democratic members of the Senate held the floor Thursday, remembering the day, those who protected them, and like Pelosi, calling for a renewed commitment to protecting democracy. In his remarks, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned, “When democracies are in danger, it often starts with a mob. That’s what happened one year ago, here in this building: a mob attack.”
“And for mob violence to win the day, it doesn’t need everyone to join in; it just needs a critical mass of people to stay out of the way, to ignore it, to underestimate it, to excuse it, and even condone it,” he continued. “The mob can start out as a small number, but if it’s allowed to grow, and leaders egg on the mob, encourage it, it can become poison. That is what Donald Trump is doing, as even his response to President Biden’s speech today showed.”
“We must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, so that our country’s destiny is determined by the voice of the people, and not by the violent whims of lies and even mob rule,” Schumer said. “We must also guard against the false hopes of solutions that don’t deal with the problem, that try to cover it up or push it away because some people don’t want to deal with it. Some say the answer lies in doing the bare minimum, like reforming the Electoral Count Act that my friend the Republican Leader has floated in recent days.”
“Let the anniversary of Jan. 6 forever serve as a reminder that the march to perfect our Democracy is never over, that our democracy is a precious, sometimes fragile gift purchased by those who struggled before us, and that all of us now must do our part to keep the American vision going in the present and into the future,” Schumer concluded.
Fellow Democrats continued to stress the importance of passing critical voting rights and elections reforms.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota:
Dean of the Senate, Vermont’s Patrick Leahy:
Majority Whip Dick Durbin:
Both bodies will be out for the remainder of the week, returning Monday to a major push in the Senate to break the filibuster on the Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement acts.