John, today is a somber day in our nation’s history.

Four years ago, Donald Trump and a mob of right-wing extremists launched an insurrection against our government at the U.S. Capitol that shook our country to its core.

They injured more than 150 Capitol and D.C. police officers, called for the death of Vice President Mike Pence, and stalked our Capitol’s hallways in an attempt to prevent the certification of a fair and legitimate presidential election.

After the entire nation watched this unfold, 147 of my Republican colleagues in Congress still voted that very same day to reject the legitimate outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

There’s no sugarcoating it, John: January 6th, 2021 was a stark reminder that our democracy isn’t guaranteed.

We must do everything we can to ensure something like that never happens again — and that starts with passing legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would expand voting rights and safeguard democracy.

Now, as Congress meets today to certify Donald Trump’s return to the White House, our democracy is in an even more fragile position. He is planning to pardon January 6th rioters on the very first day of his presidency, has called for the imprisonment of January 6th committee members, and laid out plans to weaponize the levers of government for political retribution.

The difficult truth we must confront is that we are still dangerously close to backsliding into demagoguery and authoritarianism. That’s why I am more determined than ever to meet the hate, lies, and anger with love, truth, and compassion for our neighbors.

Love drives me to keep going when I feel my optimism dwindling. Love reminds me to keep pushing when obstacles of hate or injustice lie in our path. And love inspires me to keep putting my faith and trust in you, the American people, with each new day.

As long as we let love guide our work, I’m confident we will overcome any challenge. Thank you for being part of this important work, John.

With love and gratitude,

Cory