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Senator Murray Statement on January 6th Anniversary

ICYMI: Senator Murray recounts her experience locking down inside the Capitol on January 6th, 2021

ICYMI: Senator Murray Calls Out Tucker Carlson and Fox News for Spreading Lies About 2020 Election and January 6th Insurrection

Murray: “As we will certify today—Donald Trump has been re-elected President. It’s already painfully clear he hopes he can paper over the dark chapter he wrote in our nation’s history. But no action he takes can erase the past, unless we let it—and as long as I can stand, as long as I can speak, as long as I am here, I will not let him, or anyone, rewrite the history of the January 6th Insurrection, or erase the important lessons we must learn from it.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), released the following statement on the anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“Today, we will certify the results of the last election, a process we must never take for granted. We saw four years ago, just how fragile democracy can be. We saw our nation pushed to the edge of tyranny when a leader who didn’t get his way attacked the very foundations of our democracy by inflaming tensions with falsehoods, and cheering those who would use violence to overthrow the will of the American people.

“It was a dark day. One that must always be remembered clearly. Yet partisan voices have tried—and are trying still—to rewrite history that played out in broad daylight. We all have a responsibility to call such efforts out, and to drown out the falsehoods with the truth of that day.

“I was here, in the Capitol—even after most members were evacuated, I was locked down in my office. I heard the insurrectionists storming the building, shouting ‘kill the infidels,’ and banging on my door trying to get in.

“And I am not the only one with a firsthand account, many of our Capitol police have shared their stories of that day. We had officers seriously injured keeping us safe—insurrectionists beat and attacked them. Officers suffered cracked ribs and severe brain injuries. One officer lost an eye. Officers injured in the line of duty died in the aftermath, including those who took their own lives. They sacrificed to keep us safe—we cannot forget that. And it is shameful House Republicans have yet to put up the plaque to honor the brave officers who kept us safe.
“What’s more, the history of January 6th, 2021 is not just recorded in our memories—there is footage we can show every time Trump and Republicans try to deny it. Anyone who doubts, or questions what happened, need simply watch as rioters and insurrectionists charge past gates, barricades, blaring alarms, and police lines. We can all see them climbing through windows they smashed in, going where it was abundantly clear they should not, and fighting the Capitol police.

“We have the footage, photos, and police reports that show the crimes and violence committed. Insurrectionists brought gas masks, pepper spray, bats, knives, tasers, zip ties—and more. They beat officers with the American flag. They stole documents and laptops. They smeared feces inside the building and built a gallows out front.

“And all the while, Donald Trump, the man who spread the lies that inflamed the crowd, sat by—even as they called to kill his own Vice President. The violence delayed the certification for several dark hours, but in the end, insurrection failed and democracy won.

“For me, the lesson of that day is clear. Democracy—the idea that we are a country where we can debate and have our voices peacefully heard through free and fair elections—is the core principle of America. But democracy doesn’t just happen—we have to work for it. Our democracy is only as strong as our commitment to it. If we want to stay a country where our voices and our votes—not brute force—determine our future, then we have to defend the right to vote and our democratic institutions.

“As we will certify today—Donald Trump has been re-elected President. It’s already painfully clear he hopes he can paper over the dark chapter he wrote in our nation’s history. But no action he takes can erase the past, unless we let it—and as long as I can stand, as long as I can speak, as long as I am here, I will not let him, or anyone, rewrite the history of the January 6th Insurrection, or erase the important lessons we must learn from it.”

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