January 06, 2021

Duckworth Statement on Violence at United States Capitol

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after today’s violence on Capitol Hill:

“In 2004, I packed up my rucksack, laced up my boots and deployed to Iraq, willing to sacrifice whatever was asked of me because I loved this nation and believed in the sanctity of our electoral system, which had declared George W. Bush my Commander-in-Chief. I lost my legs proudly fighting in a war I didn’t support, on the orders of a President I didn’t vote for, because I believed in the values our nation was founded upon—because I believed in a government of, by and for the people. Where voters choose who leads them, not the other way around.

“I have spent my entire adult life defending our democracy, but I never, never, thought it would be necessary to defend it from an attempted violent overthrow in our nation’s own Capitol Building.

“Two months ago, a Republican official asked ‘what’s the downside’ in humoring Donald Trump’s lies that the election was rigged—well, today, the cost of protecting this man’s fragile ego was all too clear. Enough with the false claims of election fraud and irregularity that accomplish nothing but fomenting this sort of violence and anger. Enough with treating the whims of a wannabe tin-pot dictator scared of losing power and relevance as more important than the will of the people. Anyone claiming to be a leader must now unambiguously, unequivocally, admit that the election is over and prove that in this country, truth still matters. Right still matters.

“What we saw today was not a protest, it was an attempted coup. I refuse to let anyone intent on instigating chaos or inciting violence deter me from carrying out my Constitutional duties. Congress must continue its work certifying the results of the election and turn the page on this shameful chapter in our history. It is the only way to inch closer to healing our nation.”

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