WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement to recognize five years since the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“On January 6, 2021, I witnessed things I never thought I’d see at the United States Capitol. I saw our democracy under attack — pushed to the brink by rioters who violently forced their way into the United States Capitol to stop the certification of a free and fair election. And they did it at the urging of President Trump.
“Those rioters assaulted U.S. Capitol Police officers. They beat officers with flagpoles, fire extinguishers, and hockey sticks. They used stun guns, tasers, and bear spray. They crushed officers in doorways with stolen police shields.
“It was due to the bravery of our U.S. Capitol Police officers, D.C. Metro Police officers, National Guardsmen, and Capitol staff that our democracy stood that day. Five officers—Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, Jeffrey Smith, Kyle DeFreytag, and Gunther Hashida—lost their lives in the aftermath of that attack.
“But one of Trump’s first acts of office was to pardon over a thousand of the criminals who attacked our brave law enforcement officers that day. That is not justice.
“Every year, January 6th reminds us that democracy is not automatic. It is not a given. It is a constant work in progress that we must fight for — from day to day, year to year, generation to generation. As we enter the second year of a second Trump administration, our democracy is once again being pushed to the brink – but we cannot let it break.
“Today, let us remember the darkness of that day. Let us thank the police officers who stood the line and defended our democracy. And let us carry forward the lesson of January 7. Because while rioters’ chants still echoed outside, while injured officers were still being treated, and while the halls of the Capitol were left in disarray, my colleagues and I returned to the Senate floor.
“We did our duty. We certified the results of the 2020 presidential election. That is what democracy demands. And that is what we must continue to defend.”
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