John,

One year ago today, the United States Capitol was breached by an angry mob for the first time since 1814, when British troops stormed the building.

This time it was domestic terrorists, inspired and encouraged by then-President Trump.

I sheltered in the Capitol Complex that day with other members and staff. Luckily, I hadn't yet made it to the House Chamber. I woke up prepared to uphold my oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

I planned to uphold my oath by voting to certify the results of the Electoral College. Thanks to the efforts of the Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies who defended our Capitol Building, we would not be deterred. We must never forget their bravery.

Tragically, the violent insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol that day caused the deaths of as many as five police officers and injured more than 100 others. My thoughts will always be with the loved ones of those heroes who protected us.

As for the domestic terrorists who sought to overthrow our democracy, they must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, full stop.

Despite 81 million votes for President Biden, many recounts, and over 60 failed lawsuits challenging the results, many of my Republican colleagues followed Trump’s lead and pushed baseless conspiracies and claims of voter fraud without any evidence, entirely void of reality.

Many of Trump's allies sought to overturn the results of a free and fair election because they didn’t like the results. They didn’t realize — or didn’t care — that their actions could result in a violent coup attempt. That’s exactly what happened one year ago today.

For many decades, we've had passionate but peaceful political disagreements — a shining beacon of democracy. We Americans do not support insurrection or mob rule. In short, we are so much better than that event.

We are now at a crossroads in our great nation’s history, a moment where we see two divergent paths in front of us. We can continue down a path of hyper-partisanship, divisiveness and democratic decay, or we can try to heal our country.

We must choose to heal.

We can come together to reject the violence we saw last year and recommit to upholding the values that unite us as Americans: democracy, justice and equality. It is paramount that we choose the right path.

To my colleagues who insist on continuing to spread disinformation around the 2020 election, please understand that your actions will be remembered as among the most shameful in our nation’s history.

To my other colleagues — Republicans and Democrats alike — who have upheld their oath of office, thank you for defending our democracy. I am proud to serve alongside you, and I look forward to addressing our nation’s greatest challenges. Together.

Mike



​​​​​​​

Paid for by Mike Levin for Congress

unsubscribe: [link removed]
Mike Levin for Congress
P.O. Box 2112
Capistrano Beach, CA 92624
United States