Shaheen Statement Ahead of 2nd Anniversary of Insurrection
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement ahead of the second anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Two years ago, our nation came dangerously close to losing our democracy. The images of insurrectionists taunting elected officials with death, assaulting police officers and pillaging offices in the U.S. Capitol to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 elections are forever seared in our consciousness. We must never forget the events of January 6, 2021, or the actions that led to it, so that we can ensure history is never repeated,” said Shaheen. “I was tremendously frustrated and angered by the majority of Senate Republicans, whose obstruction withheld from our chamber the opportunity to uphold our duty to the American people and commission an independent investigation into the insurrection. However, in their absence of leadership, we saw a meticulous and impressive investigation carried out by a bipartisan group of our colleagues in the House of Representatives that brought to light pivotal information on how the attack was carried out, and when and who was involved in the events before and during the assault on our democracy. I thank these leaders – some of whom are now leaving Congress because they put the good of the country before party politics – for their service to our nation.”
Shaheen continued, “In the aftermath of the insurrection, a small group of Senators from both sides of the aisle came together to reform an outdated law to better safeguard our elections by addressing the certification process – the very process that was challenged during the attack at the Capitol. I was proud to be among this group, and I applaud Senators Manchin and Collins for their leadership in uniting Democrats and Republicans to take a meaningful step forward to protect our democracy. That bill is now law, but our work to shore up the security of our elections continues. Access to the ballot box, protections for election workers and much more remain key priorities that we must address to prevent a repeat of the events of January 6th. As we mark two years, I reaffirm my commitment to fight for those objectives. And as we approach this somber day, I offer my sincerest condolences to the first responder families who lost loved ones. We owe action to these families and to law enforcement who held the line, many of whom continue to live with injuries they sustained that day in defense of our democracy. To all of them – I promise you, our work goes on.”
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