Heinrich: We Must Restore Our Democracy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the certification of the Electoral College results and restoring our democracy:

“What happened yesterday in the United States Capitol is such an embarrassment for a country that has been looked up to around the world for over 200 years. When you look at history, democracy is the exception. Our democracy is not automatic or self-sustaining. It requires work and commitment from every single one of us.

“Since President Trump lost his bid for reelection, he, and those enabling his behavior, have spread debunked conspiracy theories and bold-faced lies to sow distrust in the results of our democratic election. We saw the real life consequences of the president's reckless words when he incited the mob violence and insurrection that led to the loss of four lives and mass terror in the heart of our democracy.

“President Trump’s attack on our democracy and his attempt to overturn the results of our democratic election did not and will not succeed. Last night, as soon as we were safely able to return, the House and Senate officially certified that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won the 2020 election. In less than two weeks, they will be sworn into office—reflecting the will of the American people.

“We all need to come together as a unified nation to heal our communities and build back from this crisis moment. We are still living through the gravest pandemic in over a century—we lost 47 of our fellow New Mexicans to Covid-19 yesterday alone. Too many American families are struggling to make ends meet. Our nation is also reckoning with systemic racial injustice and a climate crisis that threatens everything about our way of life. Our elected leaders should be squarely focused on how we can work with our new president to address these major challenges.

“I urge all Americans—regardless of who we voted for in this past election—to reject our outgoing president’s brazen attempts to trample on our American values. We must support a peaceful transition of power and restore our democracy.”