John, 

On January 6th, 2021, violent insurrectionists attacked America’s Capitol building, and with it, they threatened American democracy writ large.

Incited by lies and conspiracies about the results of the 2020 election, these rioters attacked police officers with bear spray, bike racks, broken scaffolding, fire extinguishers, and even American flag poles.

Officers desperately fought to protect everyone inside the Capitol complex, including the Members of Congress, legislative staff, custodial and food service staff, journalists, and the Vice President of the United States.

These brave police officers protected us. They fought to hold the line against the violence of the insurrectionists. They fought to hold the line to protect our democracy.

I was in the Chamber during the assault on the Capitol. I watched as colleagues prayed and cried, and as we deployed gas masks, climbed across the gallery seating, and took cover between rows of seats, following the commands of the police officers fighting to keep us safe.

During the insurrection, I texted my husband dark-humored updates as I tried to stay calm but worried about how he would tell my children about the attack. I took a selfie of myself smiling so that in case things ended poorly, my kids would know I had been okay.

The insurrectionists harmed our Capitol that day, defacing its majesty and disrespecting its honor. But their efforts to thwart our democracy failed. 

While the events of that day remain impossible to forget, there are still questions about the events of that day, and the days leading up to it, that merit further investigation. That’s why my colleagues and I voted this week to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the events leading up to the attack.

Mirroring the 9/11 Commission that looked into the terrorist attack and its origins, we hope to reveal greater truths about what happened on January 6th, how it happened, and how we can prevent a similar tragedy from happening moving forward.

We owe it to the nation to dig into this catastrophe in more detail. The events of January 6th cost lives and threatened the foundations of our democracy, and we all deserve to truly understand this catastrophe. This commission is an important step towards gaining that understanding.

Thank you all for listening. I am wishing you all strength and sending my appreciation for your engagement, even when the topics are heavy.

-Abigail