Congresswoman Barbara Lee Holds Virtual Panel Discussion on Jan. 6: Remembering the Insurrection and Reclaiming Our Democracy
Oakland, CA – On January 6, 2022, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) held a virtual conversation about hope, resiliency, and the fight for our democracy one year after the insurrection at the Capitol. The panel discussion – Remembering the Insurrection and Reclaiming our Democracy – was part of a series of live-streamed events on January 6 to mark the 1-year anniversary of the attack.
Congresswoman Lee was in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters attacked police and stormed the building to stop the peaceful transfer of power to the Biden administration. The panel featured experts and community leaders in a discussion about the repercussions of the insurrection, protecting our democracy from future attacks, and confronting the white supremacy behind ongoing efforts to undermine democratic rights.
Panelist information and transcription of Congresswoman’s remarks can be found below. To watch the panel discussion, click the image below.
Congresswoman Lee Opening Remarks
Good afternoon. I am very pleased to present this panel discussion: Remembering the Insurrection and Reclaiming our Democracy.
Thank you to Mr. Martinez, Dr. Hames, Rabbi Mates-Muchin, and Mr. Shakir for leading us in prayers for our nation.
I appreciate your heartfelt words to begin this conversation.
To start, let me thank our distinguished guests, and thank you to everyone out there watching this discussion.
Today is a day of remembrance and reflection.
We all experienced a traumatic event one year ago. Lives were lost, people were hurt, and confidence in America’s democracy was shaken.
Let me tell you, I was in the Capitol on January 6th, and it was a harrowing experience. I knew something was going to happen that day, so I wore my running shoes instead of my high heels and I am so glad that I did. When we heard that the mob had overrun the police, we had to quickly evacuate – and many of us thought we would not make it out.
So, no matter where you are on the political spectrum, we must acknowledge the real pain and suffering of this day, and vow to do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again.
Today must be a day for truth-telling.
Let’s be clear about what happened one year ago: a disgraced, twice-impeached former president, who lost the popular vote by a huge margin, sent his followers to the Capitol to try to reverse a free and fair election, stop the peaceful transfer of power, and end the American experiment.
Let’s call it what it was: a violent attempt to maintain minority rule and white supremacy at the expense of our democracy.
Yes, white supremacy was at the heart of the attack on the Capitol. The insurrectionists themselves made that clear when they waved confederate flags, screamed racist abuse at Black Capitol police officers and erected a noose within sight of the building where we work.
In a sense, this was nothing new. Violence and domestic terrorism have always been used to uphold white supremacy in this country since the first enslaved Africans arrived on the shores of North America 403 years ago.
But the scale of the attack on January 6th – and the ongoing attempt to undermine our democracy in state houses across the country – is unprecedented in our lifetimes.
That is why today must also be a day for resolve.
Let’s be clear: the attempt to undermine our democracy is not over.
Trump’s “almost coup” may have failed, but Republican state legislatures across the country have spent the last year passing laws – not to secure the next election, but to subvert it if it doesn’t go their way.
Our democracy is still in a crisis, and we must respond to it as a crisis.
That is why the work on the bipartisan House panel investigating the attack is so critical.
To heal our country and our democracy, there have to be consequences for leaders who betray the trust of their offices. If there are no consequences, it will happen again.
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.