Congresswoman Norma J. Torres Releases Statement on Anniversary of January 6 Attack on Capitol
WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today released the following statement recognizing the one-year anniversary of the violent assault of the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
One year ago, violent terrorists attacked our Capitol, the seat of our Democracy, while we tried to certify the results of a free and fair election. We didn't let them stop us. Democracy and freedom prevailed – thanks to our brave Capitol Police Officers who fought selflessly to protect us. Today, my thoughts are with the families and friends of the officers who lost their lives because of that attack. We will always remember and honor their sacrifice.
That day shows that we can't take our democracy for granted. We still must fight to protect it every day, because there are still many people, including some of my Republican colleagues, who want to undermine it.
I'm thankful to the Department of Justice, FBI, and law enforcement agencies across the country who are working to prosecute and bring to justice those who planned and participated in the violence. But there is still a long way to go – the former administration must be held accountable too. To that end, I appreciate the work of my colleagues on the January 6 committee to bring to light all the details of that day and ensure those in power don't evade justice. I also want to again thank the journalists who were with us that day and who worked fearlessly through the attack to make sure everyone saw what was really happening.
On that day, in the House gallery when the Capitol was breached, I sat alongside my colleagues in confusion and panic. I feared for my life. Today, I no longer feel safe at work, and I still fear for our country because so many people want to forget the events of that day, or flat out deny that they happened. We won't forget, we won't let the American people forget, and we won't stop working every day to preserve our freedoms.
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