Hoyer Statement Marking Three Years After the Attack on the U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today three years after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021:

"Three years later, America still feels the trauma of the January 6th insurrection. Time cannot erase the memory of what occurred that day nor heal the wounds it inflicted on our country. Incited by a demagogic president determined to cling to power, violent insurrectionists assaulted the Capitol in an effort to overturn the will of 158 million American voters. It was the worst assault on our democracy since at least the Civil War.
"Some on the right have falsely claimed the insurrectionists sought to preserve our democracy. The Confederate flags and Nazi symbols they displayed that day made it clear they intended to destroy our republic. Others have repeated the lie that these insurrectionists were peaceful, blatantly ignoring how they erected gallows on the Capitol grounds, called for the execution of the Vice President and Speaker of the House, brutally attacked members of the U.S. Capitol Police, and traumatized Members and staff - including many of my staffers who were present that day. Like the insurrection itself, the efforts to revise and downplay what transpired that day threaten our democracy.
"We saw the worst of America on January 6. Amid the darkness of that day, however, we also saw the best of America. I think of the bravery of the first responders, law enforcement officers, and National Guardsmen who restored order - especially the U.S. Capitol Police, including my own security detail. I think of the Capitol staff who dutifully worked to repair the physical damage left in the attack's wake. Crucially, I think of the Members and staff who ensured that the House could convene that night to certify the results of a free and fair election.
"Abraham Lincoln once warned that if destruction ever befalls our republic, 'it will come from within... we must ourselves be its author and finisher.' January 6th was a chilling reminder of that warning. Fortunately, the insurrectionists' plot failed. If our democracy is to endure, however, we must never forget the events and lessons of that day."