Rep. Sherrill Marks Two-Year Anniversary of January 6 Insurrection

Washington, DC– Yesterday, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) delivered remarks on Capitol Hill with Common Defense and Courage for America ahead of the two-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Congresswoman Sherrill recalled her experience on that horrific day and renewed her commitment to protecting our democracy in the 118th Congress. 

The video of the remarks is available here and the full transcript is copied below:

“It's hard to believe the time it's been since January 6 took place and how far we've come. 

You know, as we stand here in the shadow of our nation's Capitol, it strikes me what an iconic building this is and has always been a representation, a physical representation of all of the values that we in this country hold dear.

I come in on the train because I am a Congresswoman from New Jersey. And so I come in on the train, and as we're driving to the Capitol from Union Station, I often can't help but be amazed that that's my office. That's where I get to work.

And that sense of awe has carried with me up until this day. So with that in mind, you can imagine how hard it was for me to believe, even as I was sitting on the floor of the House, that our beloved Capitol was being attacked by American citizens, sent over by the President of the United States because he didn't want to leave office in our democracy.

And I remember so vividly crouching in the gallery of the House that was the last area to be evacuated. We watched the floor be evacuated. I often tell friends, now, if you see the Secret Service come and grab the Speaker of the House, that's a good time to leave the floor of the House.

But we didn't. We were in the gallery. We were hoping we could certify our elections as was our constitutional duty.

And so as I was there, I was crouched down because we were concerned about active shooters. I was holding my cell phone in one hand to call my family as other members were calling their families, because they were afraid they weren't going to make it out of the gallery.

And I had a gas mask in the other hand, because we were concerned of the rioters if they broke through those barricades.

I sat there, and I had two things in mind that day. On one side, I had this great sense of sorrow that it had come to this, that our nation was so divided that people who were misled, as Jason said, veterans on both sides of those doors would come and attack our Capitol.

And then the other side of my brain really had a sense of rage.

How dare they?

And yet, as I sit here today, as I think about how far we've come with the January 6 hearings, with the people in elections all across this nation who repudiated those who would deny our elections, those who would deny our democracy, I feel a new sense of hope.

I'll give you a little bit of the inside scoop on the Capitol. Many of the members hate this green pin. They think it's a ridiculous color. But I got to tell you, as I stand here today, I think it's great.

I think it symbolizes new hope. I think it symbolizes a new start to our democracy.

And as I stand here with these veterans, as I stand here with these other veteran Members of Congress, I can tell you that we are prepared and ready for this new start.

We are prepared and ready to make sure that going forward, our democracy is stronger and more resilient than ever.

And so it's with almost a sense of joy that I start this new term in Congress because I know the American people have our back.

I know these veterans are never going to forget their oath to the constitution and are always going to fight to protect and defend our Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic. We will keep up that fight, and we know you're all with us.

Thank you for coming here today to make sure that we can always remember what we're fighting for and why it's so important.

And I'll end like everybody else. God bless the United States of America.”