Three years ago today, on January 6, 2021, a mob of right-wing domestic terrorists stormed the United States Capitol in a President Trump-orchestrated attempt to overturn the results of our free and fair election. I was stuck in the upper floor of the House Gallery that day. From that spot, I heard gunshots outside the House Chamber, and saw glass breaking in the doors at the rear of the chamber. I crouched below the balcony walls alongside Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) as we hid from the rioters. I made what I thought might be my final call to my children, the most terrifying moment of my life as a mother.

On that day, both Democrats and Republicans were horrified. We had no idea what was happening outside the doors of the Chamber, relying on updates from social media and loved ones for information as we awkwardly put on our gas masks, eventually evacuated, and sought refuge in a nearby safe room. There, we were faced with some Republican members who refused to put on masks — even though we were at the peak of the COVID pandemic. Several of my Democratic colleagues tested positive for COVID shortly thereafter. It was just one more sign of the chaos and disrespect that had permeated the GOP in Washington.

Frankly, seeing Republican lawmakers (some of the same Republicans I saw that day in fear for their lives) later deny the reality of what happened on January 6th — some referring to it as a “normal tourist visit” — only rubbed salt in the wound. Many of those same people are now part of the slim Republican majority in the House.

The fear my colleagues and I felt that day, both for our personal safety and for the future of our democracy, left an indelible impact. I am tremendously grateful to the law enforcement officers who ensured our security. Now, it is up to us, the American people, to ensure the events of January 6th are not forgotten and never repeated.

At the same time that I want to see us move forward in a positive way, I hope and trust that you will stand with me, as you have always done, to ensure the story of that dark day is memorialized.

As we enter 2024, I wish for you, your family, and our country a year of peace and prosperity. May we come together as a country.

Sincerely,

Susan