Hi, it's Lisa. This is a longer note from me on the January 6th insurrection and how we ought to be resolved to strengthen our democratic institutions. I understand if you don't have time to read it all, so all I ask is that you sign my petition to preserve American democracy for generations to come. →

Folks, I remember January 6, 2021, vividly. I was filled with excitement to witness history – where Congress would certify the Electoral College’s votes for Joe Biden, Delaware’s first President.

What should have been a day of excitement and joy now serves as a solemn reminder that we must safeguard our democratic institutions.

As I reflect on that day, I think of being trapped with my colleagues in the House gallery, praying that love would triumph over hate – hope over fear.

People ask me if January 6th was my worst day. And it was.

But it was also one of my proudest moments. We came back into that House chamber, and we completed our work.

On January 6th, I was wearing the same scarf I had on the day that I was sworn in as Congresswoman. That scarf shows my great-great-great-grandfather's Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath, the document that granted him the right to vote.

With the House under siege, it served as a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of our democracy. And even when hopelessness crept in, the words of my ancestors quoting scripture reminded me: "weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning."

So the way I see it, January 6th taught us that our democracy is only as strong as our efforts to safeguard it. That's why I'm asking you today to please take a moment and add your name to our petition that calls on each of us to preserve American democracy.

Thank you for reading.

- Lisa