Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Third Anniversary Of January 6th
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the third anniversary of January 6th. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:
Three years ago, on January 6th, 2021, America experienced one of the darkest, most infamous days in our nation’s history.
The Capitol we stand in right now became the target of mob violence. Our democracy fell under attack, orchestrated and encouraged by Donald Trump, and fueled by the Big Lie.
Three years can pass, five years can pass – a decade can pass – but January 6th will always seem like yesterday to me. At one point, I was within 30 feet of the rioters – who, I was told, were shouting “Let’s get him!” pointing at me before my detail pulled me away to safety.
Our Capitol was desecrated. Walls were scaled, windows smashed, offices vandalized. The mob’s goal on January 6th was clear: to overturn the will of the American people and block the peaceful transition of power.
But on that day, in an act of patriotism history will forever remember, the four leaders decided we would not let Donald Trump and his mob stop us from counting the ballots. We came back later that night, finished the count, certified the election, and preserved our democracy.
Of course, we couldn’t have finished our work without the heroics and quick thinking of the Capitol Police and MPD officers who defended the Capitol on January 6th.
Though vastly outnumbered and underequipped, these public servants held the line, saving countless lives and preventing a violent riot from becoming something worse.
These brave men and women – many of whom still bear the scars from the attack on January the 6th – still come to work every day. We say to them now and always: thank you, thank God for you, and we are here for you.
Three years after the attack, much has changed, but one thing remains true: our democracy, despite those who seek to derail it, marches on.
Let this anniversary be a reminder that the work to protect democracy is never over, that it is a precious gift, and we must all do our part to make sure our democracy endures today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
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