What They’re Saying About the Attack on the U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Capitol is once again secure, though remnants of the mayhem that transpired Wednesday afternoon and evening remain.

Much of the trash left behind by marauding protestors had been swept into piles by Thursday morning, though shards of glass still lay at the base of broken windows, and portions of the marble floor remained slick where supporters of President Donald Trump sprayed fire extinguishers.

The first large-scale attack on the Capitol since the British burned down an earlier incarnation in 1814 also left four people dead including one woman who was shot in the chest amid the chaos and three others, an adult woman and two adult males, who suffered undetermined health crises during the siege.

Shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday hundreds of pro-Trump protesters, who’d been egged on by the president earlier in the day, pushed through barriers set up along the perimeter of the Capitol, where they tussled with officers in full riot gear, some calling the officers “traitors” for doing their job.

About 90 minutes later, police said demonstrators got into the building and the doors to the House and Senate were locked. Shortly after, the House floor was evacuated by police. Vice President Mike Pence was also evacuated from the chamber, where he was to perform his role in the counting of electoral votes.

An armed standoff took place at the House front door at about 3 p.m., and police officers had their guns drawn at someone who was trying to breach it. A Trump supporter was also pictured standing at the Senate dais earlier in the afternoon.

Multiple officers have been injured with at least one transported to the hospital.

Smoke grenades were used on the Senate side of the Capitol as police worked to clear the building of rioters. The protestors were initially squeezed into the Rotunda, then removed through the east and west doors of the Capitol.

At least 52 people had been arrested as of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

The sad and historic events of Wednesday will no doubt be discussed for decades to come. What follows are some immediate reactions from members of Congress and others.

President Donald Trump

 This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people,” Trump said in the one-minute video. “We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace.

President-elect Joe Biden

 “The words of a president matter no matter how good or bad that president is. At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite.

Therefore, I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Today, a shameful assault was made on our democracy. It cannot, however, deter us from our responsibility to validate the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

For that reason, the Congress has returned to the Capitol. We always knew that this responsibility would take us into the night. And we will stay as long as it takes. Our purpose will be accomplished.

We must – and we will – show to the country, and indeed, to the world, that we will not be diverted from our duty; that we will respect our responsibility to the Constitution and to the American people.

On Sunday, it was a great – my great honor to be sworn in as speaker and to preside over a sacred ritual of renewal, as we gathered under this dome of this temple of democracy to open the 117th Congress.

I said that – as we were sworn in then – we accept a responsibility as daunting and demanding as any previous generation of leadership has ever faced. We know that we are in difficult times, but little could we have imagined the assault made on our democracy today.

To those who strove to deter us from our responsibility, you have failed. To those who engaged in the gleeful desecration of this, our temple of democracy – American democracy – justice will be done.

Today, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany. On this day of revelation, let us pray that this instigation to violence will provide an epiphany for our country to heal.

In that spirit of healing, I invoke the Song of St. Francis – I usually do – St. Francis is the patron saint of my city of San Francisco and he is – his song is our anthem:

‘Lord, make me a channel of thy peace. Where there is darkness, let me bring light. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is despair, let me bring hope.’

We knew that we would be a part of history in a positive way, today, every four years when we demonstrate, again, the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next. And despite the shameful actions of today, we still will do so.

We will be part of a history that shows the world what America is made of. That these – that this assault – this assault is just that: it shows the weakness of those who’ve had to show through violence what their message was. My colleagues: it is time to move on.

I wear this pin quite frequently. Actually, I gave it to our beloved John Lewis just the weekend before he – the weekend or so before he left us. And it is the flag of our country, a flag of the United States of America. On it, it says, ‘One country, one destiny.’ ‘One country, one destiny,’ written on the flag. That was also what was embroidered in Abraham Lincoln’s coat that he had on that fateful night. Lincoln’s party, Lincoln’s message: ‘One country, one destiny.’ 

So, on this holy day of Epiphany, let us pray. I’m a big believer in prayer. Let us pray that there will be peace on earth and that it will begin with us. Let us pray that God will continue to bless America.

And, with that, let us proceed with our responsibilities to the Constitution to which we have, just within 72 hours, taken the oath to uphold.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer

Today’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol complex was a direct attack on our democracy. It is shameful and despicable, but it will not prevent us from carrying out our Constitutional duties. Tonight, the House and Senate will reconvene in a Joint Session of Congress to continue the Electoral College certification. We will fulfill our duty to the Constitution and the American people.

This is a dark day in our nation’s history, but our democracy will prevail. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be confirmed as the next President and Vice President of the United States. When they are sworn into office on January 20, I hope that day will mark the beginning of a new era for the American people in which we can come together as one nation and heal.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 

The United States Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs, or threats. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation.

We are back at our posts. We will discharge our duty under the Constitution for our nation. And we are going to do it tonight.

This afternoon, Congress began the process of honoring the will of the American people and counting the Electoral College votes. We have fulfilled this solemn duty every four years for more than two centuries.

Whether our nation has been at war or at peace, under all manner of threats, even during an ongoing armed rebellion and Civil War, the clockwork of our democracy has carried on.

The United States and the United States Congress have faced down much greater threats than the unhinged crowd we saw today. We have never been deterred before and we will not be deterred today.

They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed.

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer

What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president. This president should not hold office one day longer.

The quickest and most effective way – it can be done today – to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president.

Rep. John Katko

The brutal attack on our nation this week was an unprecedented threat to our democracy. 

We must be clear on what happened: A violent mob stormed our nation’s Capitol and attempted to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral Vote.

By repeating disproven claims about election malfeasance, President Trump incited and encouraged this unlawful attack. And in response, he doubled down on those same false claims and issued a half-hearted rebuke.

Thanks to law enforcement, they failed, and we rightfully certified the election of Joe Biden.

The peaceful transition of power is a sacred process, deliberately outlined in the Constitution to ensure the stability of our nation. The importance of this process is far bigger than President Trump, and will not be thwarted by a violent mob.

Clarence E. Anthony, executive director and CEO National League of Cities

We condemn the acts of violence by the unlawful group of rioters that attacked the U.S. Capitol today and urge our fellow Americans in cities, towns and villages across the country to remain calm, peaceful and safe.

The president must stop pouring fuel on the flames of division that are now inflicting irreparable harm on our democracy and our nation.

As we saw from the leadership shown today from Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department, local leaders will always put our residents first, and we welcome strong leadership and partnership from our fellow public officials at all levels of government to ensure a safe, peaceful and orderly transition of power during this critical moment for our country.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro

I am grateful for the outpouring of support and relieved to report that both my staff and I are safe.

Make no mistake, this was a coup attempt instigated by President Trump. Everyone who has aided and abetted him for the past four years bears responsibility for today’s violence.

January 6 will go down as a dark day in United States’ history, but our democracy will prevail over the violent mob that ransacked our Capitol. In two weeks, President-elect Biden will take office and begin the work of healing our nation.

I stand ready for Congress to reconvene and complete our work counting the Electoral College votes and formalizing President-elect Biden’s victory. Together, we can overcome the hate that inspired today’s events and move forward to a brighter tomorrow.

Rep. Derek Kilmer

Today I went to work to represent my constituents – to stand up for the will of the voters in our region and certify the Electoral College votes as presented to Congress. Sadly, with the encouragement of the President, a violent and lawless mob attempted to take over the United States Capitol.

This is a dark day for our republic. This is not how our system works. We do not – and will not – get bullied by angry people who are on the losing side of an election. Let’s be clear – this will not get in the way of the will of the voters. Order will be restored, the American voters will be heard, and Joe Biden will be sworn in as President on January 20.

On Thursday, Kilmer added:

The president is manifestly unfit for office. He has demonstrated it time and again over the last four years and his actions today incited violence not just against the Capitol building but against our representative democracy. I agree with retired U.S. Navy Admiral and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen that Donald Trump is “not in a position to lead the next 14 days” and that “we need to act in a preventive way to prevent more from happening.” With that in mind, I believe that the Vice President and cabinet should invoke the 25th amendment.

Jay Timmons, president and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers

Armed violent protestors who support the baseless claim by outgoing president Trump that he somehow won an election that he overwhelmingly lost have stormed the U.S. Capitol today, attacking police officers and first responders, because Trump refused to accept defeat in a free and fair election. Throughout this whole disgusting episode, Trump has been cheered on by members of his own party, adding fuel to the distrust that has inflamed violent anger.

This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule. It is dangerous. This is sedition and should be treated as such. The outgoing president incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy. Anyone indulging conspiracy theories to raise campaign dollars is complicit. Vice President Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy.

This is not the vision of America that manufacturers believe in and work so hard to defend. Across America today, millions of manufacturing workers are helping our nation fight the deadly pandemic that has already taken hundreds of thousands of lives. We are trying to rebuild an economy and save and rebuild lives. But none of that will matter if our leaders refuse to fend off this attack on America and our democracy—because our very system of government, which underpins our very way of life, will crumble.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer

Today, we saw a violent mob attack and occupy the United States Capitol. They did not come to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of speech and assembly. They used improvised explosives, smashed windows, broke down doors, violently fought against, and injured, our law enforcement officers, and tore down the American flag.

All of this was done in an attempt to overturn an election and those involved in today’s attacks should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Their attempt to obstruct democracy was foiled.

Despite their attempts, their insurrection failed. We will press on and certify the will of the American people. This day was meant to symbolize our 230-year tradition of a peaceful transition of power, but, instead, what the country and the world saw was President Trump encouraging violence and insurrection against the United States government.

In fourteen days, President-elect Biden will be sworn in. It is more important than ever for the United States to honor a peaceful transition of power — the very heart of our democracy, and what makes us the greatest country in the world. We will continue our responsibility tonight and certify the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.

In the coming days, months, and years ahead, it is more important than ever that lawmakers from both parties come together and commit to unity, civility, and a loyalty to truth; to fight disinformation, reject bigotry, and embrace our calling to a higher purpose and help America out of these dark days.

Problem Solvers Caucus

The behavior we witnessed in the U.S. Capitol is entirely un-American. This was not a peaceful protest – this was an insurrection. These individuals should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The American people can rest assured that we will finish our work, certify the results of the 2020 election, and ensure a peaceful transition of power. Our democracy is stronger than the destructive behavior of any mob and will survive today’s egregious behavior.

Rep. Suzan DelBene

Yesterday was one of the darkest days in American history. The president of the United States encouraged a violent mob to attack members of Congress to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. He failed to repudiate the violence he started and refused to activate security forces to protect the U.S. Capitol. Consequently, he violated his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

I couldn’t have imagined the violence and lawlessness I saw around the United States Capitol. For the good of the country, the 25th Amendment should be invoked to remove President Trump from office immediately.

The 25th Amendment allows for the president to be removed from office by the vice president and a majority of the cabinet.

Rep. Liz Cheney

We just had a violent mob assault the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent us from carrying out our Constitutional duty. There is no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob. He lit the flame. This is what America is not. It has just been absolutely intolerable and unacceptable.

The mob will not prevail. We all have taken an oath to the Constitution. It’s an oath that we carry out, it does not bend to mob rule and it doesn’t bend to political threats. It is an oath under God and we will carry it out. And what happened today can never happen in the United States, and the President needs to take responsibility for it.

The President is abusing the trust of the American people and abusing the trust of the people who supported him. We’ve never in our 245 year history had a President refuse to concede and leave office after the Electoral College had voted.

The Electoral College voted on December 14th. Our job here in the Capitol is to count the votes, we will count the votes, but there are serious questions about the President’s involvement and responsibility for what happened here tonight, here today at the Capitol, and it cannot be tolerated.”

On the subject of Congress continue its work certifying the Electoral College vote, Cheney added:

I think there is agreement that we must do that, agreement that we will do that, that we won’t be deterred in completing this Constitutional task and that agreement is bipartisan. I look forward to doing that. I think it is very important for us to do that, it’s important to send a message to the nation and to the world that America is not ruled by mob violence.

We have this tremendous history of a peaceful transfer of power, something that we take for granted, but Ronald Reagan said it was ‘miraculous.’ I think what we have seen today demonstrates how fragile it is. And the obligation and the responsibility of everybody in a position of authority to step up and make sure that we are abiding by our oath and to make sure that this insurrection is not allowed to proceed and that we are not going to be ruled by the violence.

 I also want to say that you’ve got scores of law enforcement, Capitol Police officers who were injured. It is just absolutely unacceptable and the President’s response so far has been completely intolerable and insufficient. 

Sen. Ben Sasse

Today, the United States Capitol – the world’s greatest symbol of self-government — was ransacked while the leader of the free world cowered behind his keyboard — tweeting against his Vice President for fulfilling the duties of his oath to the Constitution.

Lies have consequences. This violence was the inevitable and ugly outcome of the President’s addiction to constantly stoking division.

Americans are better than this: Americans aren’t nihilists. Americans aren’t arsonists. Americans aren’t French revolutionaries taking to the barricades.

This is not how we peacefully transfer power. The American people are tough, our Constitutional order is strong, and we will meet this moment with strength and grace.

Rep. Debbie Dingell

 Yesterday, our democracy bent, but it did not break. Though these Republican-led efforts to overturn our election were unsuccessful in this moment, the cracks they caused in the foundation of our democracy gave domestic terrorists license to invade the United States Capitol.

Now, as we move towards the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, we must begin the difficult work of restoring faith in our government, uniting this nation, and holding those responsible for yesterday’s attacks accountable.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy

I condemn any of this; this is appalling. This is un-American. This should never happen in our nation and whatever is going on right now has got to stop.

As a nation I know we sit back and we’re appalled by what we’re seeing, but I want everybody to take a deep breath and understand we all have some responsibility here.

I don’t care what we’ve ever said on Facebook, what we’ve ever done to one another, we are all Americans, we need to stop. We can disagree with one another, but to take it to how this has gone is beyond anything I’ve ever envisioned that was possible in this nation.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

In 1876, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida sent two slates of electors – they had two governments, by the way, and we didn’t know what to do.  Why did South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana do it? To hold the country hostage to end Reconstruction. It worked. The Commission was eight to seven.

It didn’t work. Nobody accepted it. The way it ended, is when [President] Hayes did a deal with these three states – you give me the electors, I’ll kick the Union army out. The rest is history. It led to Jim Crow. If you’re looking for historical guidance, this is not the one to pick.

If you’re looking for a way to convince people there was no fraud, having a commission chosen by Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, and John Roberts is not going to get you to where you want to go. It aint gonna work.  It’s not going to do any good.  It’s going to delay, and it gives credibility to a dark chapter of our history. That’s why I’m not with you.

But I will fight to my death for you, and you are able to object.  You are not doing anything wrong. Other people have objected. I just think is a uniquely bad idea to delay this election.

Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president. But today……first thing you’ll see.

All I can say is, count me out. Enough is enough.

I’ve tried to be helpful. But when the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that they didn’t violate the Constitution of Wisconsin, I agree with the three but accept the four.  If Al Gore can accept 5-4 that he’s not President, I can accept Wisconsin for 2-3.

Pennsylvania. It went to the Second Circuit. So much for all the judges being in Trump’s pocket. They said no, you’re wrong. I accept the Pennsylvania Second Circuit that Trump’s loss, it wasn’t right.

Georgia. They said the Secretary of State took the law in his own hands and changed the election laws unlawfully. A federal judge said no.   I accept the federal judge even though I don’t agree with it.

Fraud! They say there are 66,000 people in Georgia under age 18 who voted. How many people believe that? I asked. Give me 10. They haven’t given one. They said 8,000 felons in prison in Arizona voted. Give me ten.  Haven’t gotten one.

Does that say there’s problems in every election? I don’t buy this. Enough’s enough. We got to end it.

Vice President Pence: What they’re asking you to do you won’t do because you can’t! Talk about interesting times.  I associate myself with Rand Paul. How many times will you hear that? The mob has done something nobody else could do — to get me and Rand to agree. Rand is right!

If you’re a conservative this is the most offensive concept in the world – that a single person could disenfranchise 155 million people.

The President of the Senate shall in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives open all certificates and the vote shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes for president, shall be president. Where in there does it say Mike [Pence] can say I don’t like the results.

I want to send them back to the states, I believe there was fraud?

To the conservatives who believe in the Constitution: now’s your chance to stand up and be counted. Originalism — count me in. It means what it says.

So Mike – Mr. Vice President – just hang in there.

They said we can count on Mike – all of us can count on the Vice President. You’re going do the right thing, you’re gonna do the constitutional thing. You’ve got a son who flies F35s, you got a son in law flies F18s, they’re out there flying, so that we get it right here.

There are people dying, to my good friend from Illinois, to make sure we have a chance to argue among ourselves, and when it’s over, it is over – it is over.

The final thing: Joe Biden. I’ve traveled the world with Joe. I hoped he’d lose. I prayed he would lose. He won. He’s the legitimate President of the United States.

I cannot convince people, certain groups, by my words, but I will tell you by my actions. Maybe I, above all others in this body, need to say this: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are lawfully elected and will become the President and the Vice President the United States on January 20th.

Rep. Gary Palmer

 As a strong defender of the First Amendment, I support the right to peacefully assemble. But what we witnessed on the Capitol grounds yesterday was far from a peaceful assembly, and the nation should have only one response to those activities. They must be strongly condemned.

The senseless actions of a few led to the unnecessary loss of life and multiple injuries. I commend the Capitol police for restoring peace and for their resolute and courageous efforts to protect the members of Congress and their staff, and everyone else who serves in the Capitol complex.

Violence and destruction are not the answer to our problems, no matter how frustrated we become. We have a nation of laws, not a nation of anarchy. The activities yesterday distort what our nation represents, and those engaging in them prove they have no love for country or respect for the rule of law.

Ricardo Lara, president, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed

 As the final step before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, the 117th Congress has conducted its Constitutional duty during one of the most intemperate periods of attack our democracy has ever had to endure.

 Despite the constant barrage of misinformation and disinformation to which the American people have been subjected this election season, we must recognize the significance of our democratic process surviving an unprecedented onslaught of attempts to delegitimize, undermine, and defy how we elect our leaders.

 Given the events that have unfolded at our nation’s Capitol as our leaders commenced their constitutional duty to certify the Electoral College results, we must acknowledge the grim reality of what has become of our divisions.  The horrifying actions of insurrection and an attempted coup that we all witnessed are a direct result of the rhetoric and disinformation that have besieged our political discourse, yielding violence and chaos—words matter.

 As we emerge from this tragedy, we must never forget that while the seditious violence we have seen do not represent the best of who we are, it is a symptom of the darkest parts of our society that have not just been allowed to fester but have been fed by those who wish to use misinformation and hate for the sake of holding onto power.  Violence will not upend the results of an election, and the peaceful transition of power still matters.  We must be better.

 Although our democracy prevailed, there is still much work to be done to restore faith in our elections systems, protecting the right to vote, and making the process safe and accessible to all eligible voters.  With a new Congress and Administration, it is vital that elected officials do everything in their power to meet these goals.

 As an organization dedicated to America’s constitutional values and promoting full Latino participation in civic life, NALEO calls on all elected officials to condemn the violent insurrection we have seen and reaffirm our respect for the Constitution and our democracy.”

Idaho Gov. Brad Little

As I reflect on the events in our nation’s capital, multiple sad things come to mind. For all my many years, I’ve had an interest in how our citizens, especially our children, get to participate or observe our governmental, especially legislative, process.

For generations, citizens and many students have traveled to Washington D.C., toured the U.S. Capitol, and observed. This is sacred to me and the success of our democratic republic. Confidence in government is best maintained if people can witness the process – whether in Washington D.C. or Boise.

Today’s activities will undoubtedly bring a reaction – and for good reason. But as often is the case, the unintended consequences will be less access, fewer students, fewer citizens seeing the sometimes-messy constitutional process of government.

 I mourn for the lack of access that was there when I spent part of a summer in 1973 as a student with unfettered access to our congressional branch. We can replace unfettered access with technology, but there will be a loss. Unfortunately, there will be fewer students with a passion for the process because of their first hand exposure. Thus is the consequence of those who stormed OUR Capitol. It was a sad day.

We can do better. We must rededicate ourselves to making the process open to all, without intimidation of either the inside participants or the outside observers.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee

Today has been a very tumultuous day for Americans and Washingtonians, for obvious reasons.

On a day in our nation’s capital, where we were to effectuate the most important act of our democracy — the peaceful transfer of power — was forcefully interrupted by those who refuse to accept verdicts of the people, the courts, and the truth itself.

Here in our capital on a day that was to be dedicated to preparing for the opening day of our legislative session, so that we could address our challenges, including the pandemic, that work was forcefully interrupted by similar acts of attempted intimidation.

But I have good news to share with my fellow Washingtonians.

Those acts of intimidation will not succeed in any way shape or form. We will continue the work we are doing to protect the health of Washingtonians. In D.C., Congress will follow the will of the American people and take yet another step on the long march to protecting people’s right to self-government that has so far succeeded through centuries of frequent tension in our politics.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam

I have been working all afternoon and this evening with leaders in Washington D.C., the Virginia National Guard, Virginia State Police, and others in the federal government.

The violence we saw at the U.S. Capitol today was nothing short of an armed insurrection and a humiliating assault on American democracy. The President incited this mob with his refusal to accept the lawful results of a fair and secure election. And the members of Congress who have enabled him—and continue to encourage and praise his efforts—bear just as much responsibility.

This did not come about overnight. When elected leaders purposefully reject facts and fan the flames of conspiracy theories, all in pursuit of power, they are taking dangerous steps. And now we are seeing where those steps can lead. God forbid we experience anything worse.

 I continue to pray for the safety of every member of the House and Senate, all the staff, the journalists, everyone who works in the Capitol. And I commend the Virginia National Guard and Virginia State Police for quickly stepping up in this time of great need.”

 Let me be clear: Virginia will be there for as long as it takes to protect our nation’s capital and ensure the peaceful transition of power.

Roger Dow, president and CEO, U.S. Travel Association

We are profoundly heartbroken by the disturbing actions at the U.S. Capitol that are being viewed around the world. The behavior we are witnessing has no place in any peaceful democracy, much less in the country that is supposed to be the foremost example of democratic principles.

Working American families depend on a productive government to facilitate their livelihoods—especially in this time of unprecedented crisis and challenge—and the willful disruption of our democratic transition is an unacceptable act of harm that is felt not just in Washington, but in every corner of the country.

With all our hearts, we urge the swift and peaceful end to the chaos and mayhem in our capital city, and that we come together to heal and move forward for the sake of our country and our future.”

Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark

Despite the seditious attempt to overthrow our democracy, we in Congress will fulfill our duty to ensure the will of the people and the integrity of our democracy are upheld. But the next days and weeks remain dangerous.

Donald Trump is a traitor to our country and our Constitution. He must be removed from office and prevented from further endangering our country and our people.