Friend, today marks one year since our democracy was shaken to its core -- one year since my colleagues and I sheltered in place as a violent mob broke into the Capitol in an attempt to shatter our nation's sacred process of the peaceful transfer of power.

We must always call out the events of January 6, 2021, for what they were: insurrection and domestic terror, incited by the relentless lies of a man who refused to accept the results of a free and fair election.

As we reflect a year later, it's clear that our democracy remains at grave risk. Donald Trump has not ceased his lies about the 2020 election, and his party refuses to distance itself from them.

I'll never forget that mere hours after the Capitol was attacked, a majority of House Republicans voted against certifying the election. And I'm alarmed by the assault on democracy that the far right has proceeded to unleash at the state level by passing blatant voter suppression legislation.

Today, I'm thinking of all the congressional staff, members of the press, and people throughout the D.C. region who are still affected by the horrible trauma of the insurrection. I'm thinking of the bravery of the Capitol Police who defended us from the mob, and I'm thinking of everyone who is continuing to fight to preserve our democracy at the state and federal levels.

We can and must do more to prevent anything like January 6, 2021, from happening again. That means rejecting lies wherever we see them, expanding the right to vote, and mobilizing up and down the ballot to stop defenders of the insurrection from gaining more political power.

There is no unity or healing without accountability. There is no reconciliation without recognition of the destructive lies that were encouraged and continue to be amplified. One year on, we are still fighting for the truth to prevail. It will be a long fight, but we cannot give up – not when the stakes are this high.

Sincerely,

Jennifer