What Biden says on the second anniversary of attack on Capitol
2023.01.08 04:28
What Biden says on the second anniversary of attack on Capitol
Budrigannews.com – On Friday, the second anniversary of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden presented the “Presidential Citizens Medal” to 14 individuals, some of whom passed away, who fought to uphold America’s democracy following the 2020 election.
A Democrat named Biden spoke at a White House ceremony, describing the 140 police officers who were injured as “heroes” and the violence as “fueled by lies.”
As he spoke, Republicans struggled for a fourth day in a row to elect a speaker of the House of Representatives, many of whom were loyal to former President Donald Trump, who had made false claims about the election.
Biden stated, “All of it was fueled by lies about the 2020 election, but on this day two years ago, our democracy held because ‘We the People’ did not flinch.”
“Your names will be remembered by history. They will recall your bravery. They’ll remember how brave you were. They will recall the extraordinary commitments you made to your fellow Americans. That is a fact, not exaggeration,” he stated.
The honorees included former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, both of whom resisted pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 election in their states. Other recipients included several law enforcement personnel; Eugene Goodman, a member of the Capitol Police who diverted rioters from the Senate floor while lawmakers were leaving; and Ruby Freeman, a Georgia election worker who Trump erroneously accused of election fraud.
Friday, the White House added two names to the list: Washington police officer Jeffrey Smith and US Capitol Police officer Howard Liebengood, both of whom committed suicide following the January 6 incident.
Death threats from irate Trump supporters forced Freeman to flee her home last year. On Wednesday, Trump referred specifically to Freeman once more to his nearly 5 million social media followers.
Freeman and others, according to Biden, retaliated against “predators and peddlers of lies” regarding the 2020 election.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of Trump attacked police, broke through barricades, and entered the Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent congressional certification of Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Trump, who has announced a third run for president in 2024, has pressed his vice president, Mike Pence, not to certify the vote, and he continues to falsely assert that widespread fraud stole the 2020 election from him.
Biden had another chance at the White House event to express concern about the threats to U.S. democracy posed by Trump and those inspired by him and to condemn the violence that occurred two years ago. After gaining control of the House in the November midterm elections, Republicans have been unable to elect a speaker this week due to a hardline group of mostly Trump-supporting lawmakers, many of whom have supported his claims of election fraud.
Questions have been raised about the Republicans’ ability to govern with a small majority in the House as a result of the struggle to select a leader. The speaker election drama has been described as embarrassing by Biden.
During a joint appearance with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday in Kentucky, Biden demonstrated bipartisanship by contrasting bickering House Republicans with one more. The Senate is largely controlled by Democrats.
In his final speech before going on the rampage in 2021, Trump urged his supporters to march on the Capitol in a speech near the White House. The ensuing riot resulted in the deaths of five people and the injuries of over 140 police officers. Last month, a House committee that was looking into the attack said that Trump should be charged with causing the violence.
A posthumous medal was presented to Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who passed away in the days following the attack on the Capitol. After the attack on the Capitol, the chief medical examiner of Washington determined that Sicknick died naturally from multiple strokes. The award was accepted on his behalf by Charles and Gladys Sicknick, his parents. As the citation about Gladys Sicknick’s son was read, Biden held her hand.
“This is warranted, and in some senses overdue, but also extremely difficult for the families, particularly the families of those who lost a hero defending our democracy,” Biden said in the White House East Room, which was crowded with the honorees’ relatives and friends.
Harry Dunn, Caroline Edwards, Michael Fanone, Aquilino Gonell, and Daniel Hodges were among the others honored for their efforts to protect the Capitol on the day of the attack.
Al Schmidt, a city commissioner on the Philadelphia County Board of Elections, and election worker Shaye Moss, both from Fulton Country, Georgia, were also recognized.
More Biden may close border despite promises
