Members of Congress closed out a day of events marking the first anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol with a candlelight vigil on the steps of the building.
Rioters stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6 in an attempt to force Congress to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. They delayed the certification of the results for several hours.
The House and Senate each held moments of silence to mark the occasion earlier in the day, but members from both chambers did so together on the east steps as evening fell.
CONGRESS MARKS FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF JAN. 6 RIOT WITH MOMENTS OF SILENCE
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told those who gathered that they wanted to honor the “heroes who defended the Capitol and our democracy that day.”
“Let us all here join in a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives and sacrificed so much for our democracy that day,” the California Democrat said.
The vigil capped a day of events organized by congressional Democrats to mark the occasion.
Earlier Thursday, at an event in which lawmakers shared their testimonials from Jan. 6, Rep. Ruben Gallego said, “There was a roomful of Democrats and some Republicans that said, ‘We’re not going to let democracy die that night.’”
The Arizona Democrat — a retired Marine who during the riot stood on a desk and directed colleagues how to use their emergency masks and later hid reporters from rioters — added, “I’m proud of what we did that night. I’m proud of what we’re doing now.”
In remarks earlier Thursday on the Senate floor, Sen. Dick Durbin said, “If nothing more comes of this speech and commemoration today, I hope that all of us, regardless of our political persuasion — the most conservative Republican to the most progressive Democrat, independents in between, black, white, and brown, men and women, rural, urban across America — will finally come to an agreement on one thing: Violence has no place in a democracy.”
“This is a sacred place,” The Illinois Democrat added. “It is not sacred because I serve here or anyone else does. It’s sacred because it was built to be a symbol of this great nation.”
Most Republicans were not present for the first anniversary of the riot, with the vast majority of Senate Republicans in Atlanta attending the funeral of the late Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson. Many, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, issued statements condemning the violence that took place last year.
In one such statement, Sen. Mitt Romney said, “Today, we call to mind the memory of those who were tragically lost on the 6th and in the following days, and we reflect with gratitude on the heroic efforts of those who protected the U.S. Capitol and all of us inside the building.”
“It is because of their courage that Congress ultimately fulfilled its responsibility to count the votes and that the transfer of power continued unimpeded,” Romney said.
The Utah Republican appeared to address his colleagues, adding, “We ignore the lessons of Jan. 6 at our own peril.”
“Democracy is fragile. It cannot survive without leaders of integrity and character who care more about the strength of our Republic than about winning the next election,” Romney said. “I said last year that the best way we can show respect for voters who are upset is by telling them the truth. The responsibility that elected officials have in this regard is fundamental to reversing the malaise gripping our current politics and ensuring that our democracy endures.”
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Just two Republicans were in attendance at the House’s moment of silence on Thursday: Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. The elder Cheney is also a former House member from Wyoming, giving him floor privileges in the chamber. Liz Cheney is one of just two Republicans on the House committee investigating the riot. Her Republican colleague on the panel, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, tweeted that he would have joined her, but he is on “baby watch,” as he and his wife await the arrival of their firstborn.
