U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Governor Tim Walz, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan released the following statements today responding to the attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol. Representative Michelle Fischbach (District 7 MN) hasn’t released a statement, but tweeted a message. All the responses are below –
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement:
“Today many have put themselves on the line to protect our Republic. Despite the violent and lawless actions of many of those at the Capitol today, we will not be deterred from finishing the job we started. I’ve spoken with my colleagues, and our plan is that tonight we will finish our work. While this was a dark day in our nation’s history, we will stand united in the face of those who seek to divide and sow chaos. Anarchy will not prevail. Democracy will prevail.”
U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement:
“Today’s attacks on the U.S. Capitol and federal buildings strike at the core principle of our democracy, that the people decide who represents them. The seditionists were incited by the most destructive and anti-democratic President in our history. For too long, some political leaders, especially the President, have used their power and position to fuel distrust in our elections with no evidence and no purpose other than to advance their own personal political power. It’s despicable and runs counter to our oath of office, to protect the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic. We will get through this day. I truly believe our democracy is resilient and can withstand this desperate coup attempt. But it’s a reminder of how hard we need to fight for our core principles, that no one is above the law and that in a democracy the people decide. I returned to the Senate tonight so we can complete the counting of the electoral votes, and so that the next duly elected President and Vice President, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, can take office on January 20th as the voters in this country decided.”
Representative Michelle Fischbach tweeted –
Respectful disagreement is fundamental to our democracy. The violence that we’re seeing, especially toward law enforcement, is unacceptable.
Statement from Governor Walz:
“I see the events unfolding in our nation’s capital today not just as a Governor, but as a former high school history teacher. The last time our nation’s capital was under siege was more than 200 years ago when our country was at war with the British. Today, it wasn’t a foreign nation that seized the capitol building and attempted an insurrection. It was citizens of our own country, incited by our president and enabled by many political leaders, who made a direct assault on our democracy. In my classroom, I taught my students to see moments like this in a greater historical context. We must do that reflection today. President Trump has fanned the flames of hatred and undermined the sacred American institutions he swore an oath of office to protect. And whether it was through the support or silence of other politicians, he didn’t do it alone. We must recognize that democracy cannot be taken for granted. We ask our soldiers to endanger their lives to defend our democracy abroad—we all have a duty to protect it here at home. That means toning down our rhetoric, bridging divides, and upholding our Democratic ideals. History is being written today. What will our future students read about this moment in their textbooks? It’s on us to ensure today is the end of a chapter. And marks the beginning of when America stood up and stood together.”
Statement from Lieutenant Governor Flanagan:
“Last night, we saw the incredible power of people engaging in democracy in historic numbers in Georgia – only to witness the obstruction of democracy today in Washington, D.C. by people threatening and committing acts of violence in the halls of the United States Capitol. Even during the four years of Civil War, the Confederacy never reached the Capitol Building. But today, the Confederate flag flew within the halls of the United States Congress. What happened in Washington, D.C. was un-American, but this type of behavior is also contagious. In Washington and here in Minnesota, we are witnessing what happens when lies undermining our democracy are spread by people at the highest levels of power; when hateful, racist, and divisive rhetoric that pits Americans against Americans goes unchecked; and when those who mean to do harm to others are not condemned by the President, but praised and encouraged. I am also horrified by hypocrisy of the rioters in D.C. meeting little resistance by law enforcement as they stormed the Capitol today when compared to the force shown during the Black Lives Matter protests at the White House this summer. We must name this double standard and work to dismantle it if we want to restore faith in our government systems. As a mother, I am struggling to explain what happened today to my seven-year old. The terror that our elected representatives, their staff, and journalists covering democracy in action felt today is hard to comprehend. The choice in front of us is clear: to give into division or to come together and rebuild our democracy. Democracy is always a work in progress. We have to tend to it, to care for it, and never take it for granted. We have to decide to end this rhetoric, this behavior, this violence now.”
