RAFU SHIMPO: TRI-CAUCUS CHAIRS’ JOINT STATEMENT MARKING 3 YEARS SINCE ATTACK ON CAPITOL

Jan. 6 marked three years since the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus — Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Long Beach) — released the following joint statement:

“America deserves a democracy that works for everyone, including communities of color, but throughout our history, sinister actors have spread lies, fomented corruption and broken laws to violently overturn electoral results and the will of the people.

“Jan. 6, 2021, was a call-back to the most egregious, brutal incidents of our past in an attempt to silence communities of color and allow an electoral loser to cling to power.

“The criminal conspiracy to violently overturn the will of the American people failed on Jan. 6, 2021, thanks to the incredible valor of law enforcement and the pro-democracy leadership of Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Leader (Chuck) Schumer in Congress.

“Members of the Tri-Caucus have been instrumental in managing and publicizing the findings of the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack, under the leadership of Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), which clearly catalogued the ways nefarious actors tried to subvert the results of the 2020 election.

“While many insurrectionists have been held accountable for their actions on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol by everyday Americans on juries, many of the leaders and co-conspirators who bankrolled, planned, and incited the attack remain free, as candidates for public office, or even as officials still in public office.

“Meanwhile, federal and state legislators across the country continue their assault on voting rights and the strength of our democracy in service of their ultimate goal: restrict our freedoms and do the bidding of the wealthy few.

“We are committed to supporting ongoing law enforcement efforts to hold every criminal conspirator accountable and to pass additional federal legislation beyond the Electoral Count Reform Act, like the Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to protect, secure and strengthen every American’s voting rights.

Only when that happens will we as a nation begin to fully reckon with Jan. 6.”

Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), a member of CAPAC, issued the following statement: “Three years ago today, a violent mob – incited by former President Trump — stormed our citadel of democracy in an attempt to overturn our democratic process. President Trump’s false claims of election fraud, promotion of misinformation, and rampant demagoguery had dire consequences.

“As a result of that day’s horrific violence, brave Capitol police officers lost their lives, with many more seriously injured. We must never forget the events of that day – to honor those we lost and prevent a violent insurrection from ever happening again.

“Jan. 6 stands as a stark reminder that even our vibrant democracy is fragile – that we can never take our freedoms for granted. We must take a stand to defend, preserve and strengthen our most sacred democratic ideals for generations to come.

“I am committed to making sure we continue the important work to make our democratic process more accessible, more participatory, and more effective for all Americans.”

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