We cannot for one minute take our democracy for granted.

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John,

Exactly two years ago today, I sat in my office in the Vermont Statehouse and watched the footage of violent crowds attacking the U.S. Capitol. I’d just been sworn in as the President Pro Tempore in the Vermont Senate, and in an instant, my elation and excitement turned to heartache and horror. 

Today, we remember the five police officers who lost their lives, and the more than 140 who were injured defending our democracy. I will never forget the heroism of the officers who protected the People’s House that day.

The insurgency in D.C. took place just a few hours after Vermont Senators gathered at our own Statehouse in Montpelier to be officially sworn into office. We came together as Vermonters, not as members of different political parties. When we were sworn in, we all took the identical oath of office – a hallowed promise to uphold and defend the constitution of our state and our nation.

In the hours, days and weeks that followed the insurrection, I felt hopeful that there would be a true reckoning over what had happened – and to some degree, there has been: After over a year of rigorous investigation, the bipartisan House Select Committee on January 6 followed the facts, reviewed the evidence, and recently issued four criminal referrals of Donald Trump to the Department of Justice – concluding that he intentionally misled and provoked the insurrectionists as part of an attempt to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.

While these criminal referrals are a step in the right direction, our work is far from finished. 

We cannot for one minute take our democracy for granted. The anti-democratic forces unleashed and amplified by the former President continue to define his party, and make the future of democracy in America more uncertain than ever. That’s why House Democrats delivered the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act and enacted record election security funding. And it’s why we’re fighting for more action to strengthen our elections. 

As I sit in the same building that came under siege two years ago today, I am more committed than ever to defending our democracy, holding the line for our values, and fighting for truth, transparency, and accountability on behalf of all Vermonters.

Yours,

Becca Balint
 
 
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Becca believes the best thoughts are not always from the loudest voices in the room. As President Pro Tem of the Vermont State Senate, she led the charge to invest in affordable housing, fight climate change, enshrine reproductive freedom into our state's constitution, and so much more. Now, she's making history as the first woman and openly LGBTQ person to serve Vermont in Congress. If you'd like to receive fewer emails and only see our most important updates, click here.

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