Tri-Caucus Chairs Joint Statement on the Second Anniversary of the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today is the second anniversary of the January 6^th attack on the United States Capitol.

The Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus—Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-4), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)— released the following joint statement:

“Throughout American history, enemies of democracy have attempted to—and sometimes succeeded in—restricting the freedom to participate in our democratic processes and silencing the will of the people.  In recent decades, state legislatures passed hundreds of restrictive voting laws while the Supreme Court has routinely undermined historically bipartisan laws, like the Voting Rights Act, designed to protect the right to vote.  The tactics of the insurrectionists, far-right militants, and white supremacists on January 6, 2021, however, were a call-back to the most violent, brutal measures of the past to silence communities of color. 

“American democracy is on stronger footing today than it was two years ago, but significant work remains. Congress ultimately fulfilled its constitutional obligations on January 6, 2021. We are calling on the Department of Justice to do its job and hold accountable all those responsible for the conspiracy to attack the Capitol and American democracy—the foot soldiers as well as the planners, funders, and inciters of the insurrection.  Members of the Tri-Caucus, including Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, have been instrumental in managing and publicizing the findings of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack, which clearly identified additional efforts to overturn the election, including soliciting state legislatures and state officials to alter the official electoral outcome, and preventing and attempting to delay the counting of lawful certified Electoral College votes from multiple states. These findings reiterate why members of the Tri-Caucus fought so hard to pass the Electoral Count Reform Act to shore up weaknesses in our presidential election process. But some weaknesses still exist. The current stalemate on electing a Speaker and having a functioning House of Representatives would be even more troublesome if it had happened in a presidential inauguration year.

“In order for Congress to secure, protect, and maintain the freedom to vote for every American in every future election, we must re-introduce and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.  Our Caucuses are committed in the 118^th Congress and beyond to strengthen our democracy and protect it from any subversion.”