January 7, 2023
Dear Friends,
Two years ago yesterday, as Congress met to ratify the will of the people and certify the winner of the Presidential election, a violent mob tore through the U.S. Capitol, causing numerous deaths and leaving countless scars, physical and mental. As I stood in the House gallery that day with rioters closing in, I saw our democracy hanging by a thread. Only the selfless service of our brave law enforcement personnel kept the light of democracy shining that day, and I am forever grateful for their sacrifice.
Before the holidays, I sent out a survey to hear directly from you about the priorities you feel are most important for Congress to address in 2023. Out of all the important issues before Congress, the most common response to that survey was “protecting our elections and securing Americans’ fundamental right to vote.” Without free and fair elections and confidence in our electoral system, we cannot begin to tackle the other pressing issues facing our nation. And though our republic prevailed on that dark day, threats to our democratic system remain.
During this first week back in Congress, we’ve seen a bloc of far-right House Republicans grind the gears of government to a halt over petty personal grievances surrounding votes for a new Speaker. This week and over the past two years, those who seek to undermine the foundations of our democracy have shown that they will stop at nothing to achieve their aims, even if that means threatening our national security or holding the global economy hostage to force massive cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Despite all the chaos on the other side of the aisle, however, Democrats in Congress remain united in our efforts to secure the foundations of our democracy. In the most recent session of Congress, I was proud to support the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act that was made law as part of the year-end omnibus spending bill. This legislation will stop future efforts to overturn presidential elections while also providing significant funding for local election security. The January 6th Select Committee has also done critical bipartisan work to uncover the truth behind the attack on our democracy, consistently following the facts and urging the Department of Justice to hold former President Trump and his associates criminally responsible for stoking the insurrection that day.
But our work is far from finished. I’ve been proud to join my Democratic colleagues in the House to advance broader measures to strengthen our democracy and secure the sacred right to vote through the overwhelmingly popular For the People Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This commonsense legislation would help get big money out of politics and ensure every vote is counted, and I’ll keep working to get these transformative bills to the President’s desk. And as part of their final report, the January 6th Select Committee released a slate of legislative recommendations to prevent another deadly attack. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to adopt these measures as soon as possible so we can safeguard our democracy for future generations.
Any effort to address the pressing issues facing our country today requires an ironclad commitment to democratic values and the assurance that the vote of every American is counted without intimidation or manipulation. That’s why I’m working hard every day alongside my Democratic colleagues to advance measures that secure that commitment and deliver that assurance. Whatever happens in the coming weeks, months, and years of this new Congress, rest assured that I will always continue to fight for you, and for the democracy we hold dear.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working every day to ensure your voice is heard in Congress. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- My greatest honor and responsibility as a member of Congress is to work on behalf of our Capital Region and all who call it home.
- With that in mind, my last newsletter included a survey so I can hear from you about the priorities you think are most important for Congress to address in 2023.
- I still want to hear from you!
- If you haven’t yet taken the survey, I encourage you to CLICK HERE and take a few seconds to complete this simple questionnaire. Make sure your voice is heard on the issues that matter to you!
