Hoyer Statement Marking Two Years After the Attack on the U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today two years after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021:
"One of the darkest episodes in our nation's history unfolded on this day two years ago. At the instigation of a president who refused to recognize the will of the 158 million Americans who voted him out of office, violent insurrectionists breached the Capitol Building. This mob stormed our sacred temple to democracy in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election and to derail our great American experiment. They brandished Confederate flags and Nazi symbols. They screamed racial epithets and threatened to execute the Speaker of the House and the Vice President of the United States. They assaulted our courageous U.S. Capitol Police and terrorized our Members and staff – including twelve of my own staffers who barricaded themselves in a besieged office room. Ultimately, however, the insurrectionists' plot failed.
"Indeed, although we saw our democracy fall under attack that day, we also saw it prevail. Despite the president's refusal to intervene, the Capitol Police – aided by the D.C. Metro Police, the National Guard, and an assortment of other brave first responders – drove back the assault. Devoted maintenance staff went to work to clean and repair the Capitol. Most importantly, the House gathered that night to certify the election and to carry out its work For the People.
"Since then, Democrats and a handful of Republicans have come together to strengthen our democracy and to push for greater accountability. Last month, we enacted legislation to reaffirm that the Vice President's role in the counting of electoral votes is purely ceremonial. This measure dispels the ambiguity that the insurrectionists wrongly used to justify their attempted coup. Additionally, I appreciate the dogged efforts of the bipartisan House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on the Capitol to uncover the truth behind that day and to identify those responsible for undermining our democracy.
"Contrary to what some Republican leaders have claimed, the insurrection was not 'legitimate political discourse.' It was the gravest attack on our republic since the Civil War. We must never forget or downplay what occurred that day, or those responsible. That's why I ask all Americans to join me in reflecting on this somber occasion and in honoring those who suffered wounds or who lost their lives that day to preserve our democracy. May we all recommit ourselves to the mission that Abraham Lincoln articulated long ago: that 'government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.'"