“As our nation marks the one year anniversary of the white supremacist-led January 6th attack on our nation’s Capitol, our Congress and the foundation of our democracy, we must use this as a galvanizing time of remembrance to redouble our efforts to protect the voice of the people. It is easy to forget what a delicate, stress-filled, and frightening time we all lived through from the months of November 2020 through January 2021. For the first time in our modern history, the peaceful transition of power was jeopardized by a relentless effort to reject the votes of millions — and on January 6th, driven by a fear mongering leader in the White House, extremists took these efforts to new lows.

While many important people — in the courts, in law enforcement, and in Congress — will continue to look back on this travesty to assess accountability and historic ramifications, it’s important we also use this as a pivot point to make clear our unflinching commitment to protecting and strengthening our democracy so that it works for all. The stain of January 6th unfortunately overshadowed the amazing resilience of our country that people across all races, genders, and ethnic backgrounds showed as they risked their lives and came out to vote in record and historic numbers during a global health crisis. And the violence on the Capitol allowed us to turn our attention away from Black and brown organizers who helped turn this country around, especially the women who have been the heart and soul of voter activism around the country. We should use this moment to remember their work and to continue to build on it to strengthen and protect our democracy. That means passing comprehensive voting rights legislation to ensure the right to vote, it means passing continued recovery for working families in this pandemic and it also means reforming the archaic and racist filibuster that holds so many of these priorities hostage.

At the National Partnership, we are geared up to stand with all our partners and allies in fighting for the agenda Americans voted for in 2020 and it is my hope that we all use this moment as a reminder of what is at stake. ”