David,
Six months ago today, I was on the floor of the House of Representatives when we first got reports that a mob had surrounded the Capitol.
Many of us didn’t think much of it at the time. Instead, we were focusing on our work: certifying the election and pushing back against the abundance of false arguments propping up Trump’s Big Lie.
How wrong we were.
As the minutes passed, we realized it was serious. When we were told to get out the gas masks under our seats, we knew the situation was out of control. And when we were evacuated past the mob, we realized how close we came to catastrophe.
As we were being led by the Capitol Police out the back entrance, a gunshot rang out. Walking through the hallways under the building, one of my colleagues carried a wooden stake to protect himself. Our leaders were led to secret shelters. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
It was the greatest domestic threat to our democracy since the Civil War. A group of violent insurrectionists trying to overthrow the election. And before Trump, I never would have believed something like this could happen in our nation. Not here. Not in America.
Since that day, too many in the country have tried to whitewash what happened. People have tried to excuse the violent mob, forget the white nationalists lurking in our hallways, and chalk it up as a normal tourist visit.
But we all saw the tape. The mob’s intent was clear — it was to overturn the election and overthrow a democratically elected government. It can never be allowed to happen again.
For months, Democrats have tried to get Republicans to do the right thing. To investigate how our democracy became so imperiled and to set up a bipartisan commission. We agreed to all of their demands. They still said no.
That’s why just last week, Speaker Pelosi acted — appointing a select committee of both Democrats and Republicans to investigate what happened in the lead up to that tragic day, and what we can do to prevent it from ever happening again.
I was honored to receive a call from the Speaker asking me to serve. It’s a solemn responsibility, and I don’t take it lightly.
There are a lot of questions to answer: What signs were missed before the attack on our temple of democracy? Who planned the assault? What did elected leaders, including the former president, do to incite or defend against the insurrection? And what do we need to do to protect our nation, and democracy, in the future?
It’s unfortunate, but I know that attacks on the process of getting to the truth will come. And they have already begun. Many Republicans in Congress are hellbent on forgiving and forgetting the events of that infamous day. They will try to distract their base. Muddle the truth. And try to paint this as a political commission, rather than what it really is – a committee to protect our democracy.
Some will do all they can to block this critical work.
We can’t let them. We won’t let them. This is an investigation to find out the full truth. The fight to protect and uphold our democracy is far too important to let anyone stop us.
Thanks for always having my back. I know that the next few months won’t be easy, but anything worth doing never is. Will keep you posted and thanks again.
Talk soon.
— Adam
