Peters Speaks on Senate Floor to Reflect on the Five-Year Anniversary of the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, took to the Senate floor to reflect on the five-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol and its dangerous impact on the nation's democratic institutions and traditions.

"Today, we mark the fifth anniversary of one of the most shocking attacks on our nation and on our democracy. For the first time in our nation's history, our longstanding tradition of the peaceful transfer of power was disrupted in a violent and deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol," said Senator Peters. "In the hours that followed, thousands of our brave law enforcement officers, first responders, and National Guard members took swift action to protect every member of Congress. They put their lives on the line to fend off the violent insurrectionists. Those U.S. Capitol Police officers, the D.C. Metropolitan Police, the National Guard, and all who stepped in deserve our deepest gratitude and recognition for their valiant efforts to defend democracy on that infamous day. We must also remember the legacy of the five heroic officers who lost their lives in the aftermath of that attack."

To watch the full video of Peters' speech on the Senate floor, click here.

Peters also highlighted President Trump and his allies' attempts to rewrite the narrative of the January 6th attacks for their own partisan political benefit, rather than upholding the rule of law.

"Instead of condemning the violent attack and holding the attackers accountable, President Trump called them 'patriots' and he pardoned nearly 1,500 individuals who were found guilty of assaulting the very same law enforcement officers that we are honoring today," said Peters. "There's no question that President Trump prizes loyalty over the law, but he's taken that favoritism too far."

Peters concluded the speech by calling upon all Americans, regardless of partisan affiliation, to come together in unity to condemn political violence of any kind, while upholding the foundational pillars of American democracy.

"Our democracy and our institutions can only endure as long as our elected leaders have the fortitude and the strength to protect and defend them against all threats, no matter their origin," said Peters. "In the five years since January 6th, we have fallen short of that responsibility. In the darkest times of our nation's nearly 250-year history we have always found a way to come together to protect our democracy."

Peters concluded, "And if we continue down this current path that we are on now, I'm concerned that we risk losing our most cherished freedoms for good. We cannot, and must not, ever let that happen."

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