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NewDEAL Statement on the Anniversary of January 6th

News Category: Statements and Press Releases

As we mark one year since the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, the memory of that day must strengthen the resolve of leaders who care about the health of our democracy to protect the right of every eligible American to vote and to ensure the results of those votes are respected. The riot on January 6, 2021, was the most visible part of a continuing effort to disrupt our elections, and our democratic system.

The vitriolic political environment that fostered the Insurrection last January has also led to unprecedented attacks on our elected leaders. In this week’s episode of the NewDEAL podcast An Honorable Profession, Mayor Brandon Whipple (Wichita, KS) talks about the foiled plot last year to kidnap and kill him, and how he stays grounded in the mindset that public service is bigger than him and instead “about what (he) can do to make a difference for the greater good.”

In this challenging environment, state and local leaders across the country are on the frontlines fighting to make government work, improve access to voting, and oppose policies that allow partisans to overrule election results.

On behalf of our nearly 200 member state and local elected officials, the NewDEAL applauds efforts, including by the January 6 Committee, to hold responsible those who encouraged and inflamed the violence on January 6 and urges the passage of federal legislation to protect the right to vote and maintain the integrity of our elections.