Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) made the following statement after beginning the Constitutional process of voting to certify the free, fair, and legitimate election of President-Elect Joe Biden, condemning the anti-democratic violence that took place as domestic terrorists stormed the U.S. Capitol.
“What we witnessed today was nothing short of an unprecedented assault on our Capitol, Constitution and democracy. This was not peaceful protest, this was domestic terrorism. Confederate-flag toting terrorists attempted a coup, incited and encouraged by Trump and his acolytes- all of whom will be judged by history. This violence is the direct result of Trump undermining our democratic process by misleading people because he didn’t like the results of the election.
“Joe Biden is the clear and legitimate President-Elect. All claims of fraud have unequivocally failed in the courts. It should not matter whether you are a Republican or Democrat, certifying these results has always been about respect for our democratic process and our Constitution. Those who have incited violence or contributed to it have gravely undermined our democracy, and they must face the consequences.
“As I have said before, I came to work today to certify a free and fair election. And that is exactly what the House will do. Make no mistake: We will not allow violence or terror to silence the people’s voice. We will uphold our Constitutional Oath and validate the votes of the over 81 million Americans who elected Joe Biden as the next President of the United States. ”
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