John – 

Like you, I am horrified and angered by the hate and vile acts of domestic terrorism in our nation’s capital last week.   

Make no mistake, the siege on the Capitol was no peaceful protest. Armed rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, our seed of government and symbol of democracy, with the goal of disrupting the certification of the Electoral College vote. It was an insurrection – a vicious assault on our democracy and an attempt to silence millions of Americans who exercised their right to vote. Those horrific events last week were the direct result of the dangerous rhetoric and racist vitriol that Donald Trump has spewed for years.

But I was proud – that despite it all – Congress chose to fulfill its constitutional duty to defend our democracy by finishing the essential process of certifying the 2020 Electoral College votes. In doing so, we protected the voices and will of millions of voters who elected Joe Biden as their next president. I am proud that we did not give into fear, hatred and intimidation. I am proud to have stood up for our democracy. 

Congress has a special duty as leaders to work together to lower the temperature of our politics. And I hope that my colleagues who questioned the legitimacy of our elections saw the dire and dangerous consequences of sowing doubt and uncertainty with inflammatory rhetoric.

I understand that the American people are seeking accountability for what happened last week. And I am committed to that, too. I believe we need to have a full investigation into how the demonstrators were able to breach the Capitol complex and wreak such havoc. There were many brave men and women in uniform who kept us safe, but there was an obvious failure in the chain of command that put many at risk.

Now, my focus is on working in a bipartisan way with my colleagues to protect the safety of the American people and the health of our democracy. But no matter what else happens, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in on Jan. 20 – and I will continue to ensure we are prepared to work with them to move this country forward.

Because of the horror we saw last week, it’s important to remember something else that’s critical. What this grassroots team accomplished together – winning in Georgia and flipping the Senate – is even more important for the good of our country. Please know that you played a key role in our success. Your grassroots support helped push Senators-elect Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to victory. Because of your support, you helped make history in Georgia. I cannot tell you just how proud I am of this team. We would not have been able to do it without you. 

Thank you for staying so committed to this fight every step of the way. Together, we refused to give up after Nov. 3. We kept our heads down and kept working hard to win in Georgia and end Mitch McConnell’s stranglehold on the Senate. And we did just that.

I look forward to accomplishing even more together this year and beyond. 

Catherine