As almost everyone is aware by now, yesterday was an eventful day in Washington, D.C., as Congress worked through the process of (and several objections to) counting and accepting the Electoral College votes from the 2020 Presidential election…while a large crowd of rampaging Donald Trump supporters, encouraged by Trump himself, stormed the U.S. Capitol and forced congressional members and staff to recess for several hours until law enforcement officials cleared the building and restored safety.
Thankfully, however, the disruptions did not spread widely, and while there were some protest activities in downtown Los Angeles yesterday, they were fairly localized, with just a few arrests and no significant injuries. And as far as we know, there was no disruptive activity in our local neighborhoods either, as LAPD Wilshire Division Captain Shannon Paulson said in a statement released yesterday afternoon:
Good Afternoon Wilshire Community,
In light of the current status of Washington D.C. and the Capitol Building, I wanted to reach out to our community regarding the current status of Wilshire and the City.
There is currently no evidence of protest action in Wilshire, and no intelligence to indicate any location in Wilshire will be targeted for protest.
We are monitoring activities downtown due to protest activity occurring there. Department resources are being dispatched to Central Division as a precautionary step, but Wilshire Division has not at this time been tapped to re-deploy. Wilshire officers are currently deployed at full strength in the division and available to respond to any need.
Stay safe and healthy!
Captain Shannon K. Paulson
Commanding Officer
Wilshire Area
Los Angeles Police Department
After the Capitol was finally secured, Congress was able to reconvene late last night, and while challenges to electoral votes in two states – Arizona and Pennsylvania – had enough signatories to require break-out debates in the two houses, both challenges were defeated by wide margins, and the electoral vote was finally certified, officially naming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the president- and vice-president-elect and fully clearning the way for their inauguration on January 20.
Meanwhile, however, many members of Congress – including those in from our local districts – remain outraged at yesterday’s events, and the role they feel President Trump played in encouraging what has widely been called an “insurrection” and its incursion into the hallowed halls of the nation’s Capitol.
Here are some messages we’ve seen yesterday and today from our local delegation:
Adam Schiff (District 28)
Posted on Twitter yesterday:
“Congress was once the place of giants.
Have we become so small? Does our oath to uphold the Constitution, taken just days ago, mean so very little?
I think not.
It has never been our place to overturn an election.
As long as we hope to remain a democracy, it never will be.”
Ted Lieu (District 33)
Facebook post yesterday:
“President Trump’s role in today’s events demonstrates that he is unfit to lead our country. I am sending a letter with my colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee calling on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office after today’s events.”
Lieu also posted that he has co-signed Articles of Impeachment authored by fellow Representative David Cicilline.
Jimmy Gomez (District 34)
Press release from Wednesday, January 6:
“I don’t use the term ‘treasonous’ lightly, but today, as my House colleagues and I sheltered in place from domestic terrorists who laid siege to the United States Capitol, I knew there was no other way to characterize Donald Trump and his role in this shocking act of insurrection. It is with this in mind – combined with four years of lies, corruption, racism, and efforts to subvert our democracy – that I am once again calling for the president to be removed from office immediately.
“Every passing minute that Donald Trump remains in power represents a clear and present danger to our country and our institutions. Despite efforts by his violent supporters to intimidate Members of Congress and block us from certifying this election, I remain undeterred in living up to my responsibilities to defend the Constitution, amplify the voices of my constituents, and finish the people’s business to ensure a smooth transition for the Biden/Harris Administration. And if Vice President Mike Pence and the Trump cabinet lack the sound judgement and moral fortitude to exercise the 25th Amendment, I respectfully call on my House Judiciary Committee colleagues to quickly introduce articles of impeachment against the president.
“I have voted to impeach Donald Trump numerous times throughout his presidency, but the events that transpired on Capitol Hill today signify a new and dire need to continue these efforts once and for all. It is my sincere hope that my Republican colleagues in Congress will finally recognize the urgency in defending our constituents from the threat posed by this man and join me in voting for his removal.”
Gomez also posted several messages on Facebook today:
“It’s a new day, but the tragic events that transpired yesterday are very much in the forefront of my mind.
Blood was shed.
Shots were fired.
Violence was used.
Our Capitol was desecrated.
And Donald J. Trump incited it.
He must be impeached and removed from office immediately.”“The blame for the violence and destruction at the Capitol doesn’t rest with Donald J. Trump alone. He had accomplices like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Josh Hawley, and Congressman Mo Brooks. Those who stoke insurrection and spread conspiracies have blood on their hands too. They must be expelled.”
“As I said yesterday, we MUST impeach Donald J. Trump immediately if the cabinet does not invoke the 25th Amendment TODAY. Our nation’s well-being does not have the luxury of time.”
And on Twitter today, Gomez added:
“I’m asking my staff to sign me up as a co-sponsor to both sets of Articles of Impeachment, the first set by @davidcicilline and the other set by @IlhanMN”
Karen Bass (District 37)
Message on social media this morning:
“The people breaking into the Capitol are the same people that scream about law and order when there are Black Lives Matter protests.
The people that are attacking Capitol Police officers right now are the same people that say they stand with the police.
There will be thousands of videos and photos from this incident. That’s all evidence.
Every single person that broke into the Capitol should be arrested.
Every single person that scaled the Capitol with rope should be arrested.
Every single person that broke into Speaker Pelosi’s office should be arrested.
Every single person that broke into the Senate Chamber should be arrested.
When this is all over, we will respond and our response will be forceful. This is the United States of America and this will not stand.”
The Buzz has reached out to the offices of all four Congressional representatives for further comments, but has not yet received any direct responses. We wil post further comments to this story if/when we receive them.
