Hirono reflects on anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol

US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) issued a statement on the anniversary of the US Capitol attack that took place a year ago today on Jan. 6, 2021.

In a statement issued today, she said both the President and Vice President spoke forcefully about Jan. 6, 2021. She described the 2021 day as “a procedural day” that was meant to “signify the orderly and peaceful transfer of Presidential power.”

But she said the day “turned into one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.”

“A day where a mob of domestic terrorists attempted to delegitimize our election process; shaking our country to its very core,” according to Sen. Hironoʻs statement.

“In reflecting on this horrific day, we cannot lose sight of the fact that this physical attack was just one part of a premeditated and ongoing all-out assault on our free and fair elections. Watching armed militia members storm the Capitol was shocking and will undoubtedly have a profound and lasting impact on our country. But let me be clear: just because we don’t have armed militia members hanging from the rafters of the Senate chamber does not mean that our democracy is no longer under attack,” said Sen. Hirono.

Since Jan. 6, 2021, Hirono said, “more than 500 bills have been introduced by Republican controlled legislatures.” She said the “sole intention” is to make it harder for people to vote. “If we don’t protect the right to vote, we won’t have a democracy—it’s that simple.”   

“We cannot sit back and let one political party continue to unravel the threads of our democracy, one voter suppression bill at a time. The bottom line is we have to fight back and reject these attacks, just like we rejected the insurrectionists one year ago today. As long as the right to vote is under attack, so too is our democracy,” said Sen. Hirono.

She urged more comprehensive voter protection legislation going forward.