Delaware’s Congressional Delegation mark the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol.
Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester all offered statements reflecting on the events of last January 6th.
Both Carper and Coons recalled the efforts of Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers that helped protect them, their colleagues, and others - allowing Congress to eventually certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Carper says there’s a clear way to act moving forward.
"Colleagues we need to lead by our example. We must choose truth over the "Big Lie." We must choose the Constitution over the mob, and we must choose the rule of law and mutual respect for one another over hatred and division."
He also calls for the Jan. 6 Committee to complete its investigation.
Carper says the attack was pre-planned -- and that should not be downplayed.
"January 6th was far from a random event, it was a premeditated, coordinated, in the end violent effort to overturn an election. In other countries we would call this an attempted coup. One year later I'm alarmed and appalled by the attempts to rewrite the history of January 6th as a peaceful protest. These conspiracy theories and lies continue to fuel the same misinformation and hatred that led to January 6th."
Sen. Coons says the anniversary should be marked by taking decisive steps to strengthen and heal democracy.
”That means making progress to secure our elections, ensuring that the state and local election officials on both sides of the aisle who did their jobs last winter counting the people’s votes continue to do so in the future, and guaranteeing that those votes can be cast freely and safely.”
Coons wants Congress to invest in civics education and national service programs to inspire the next generation to better understand the system and each other across political differences.
As for Rochester, she says January 6 will always be a day of remembrance, reflection, and recommitment.
