By Allison Perrine
Americans nationwide were shocked Wednesday afternoon as they turned on the news and saw a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters storming Capitol Hill amid the counting of electoral votes that would confirm President-elect Joseph Biden’s win.
Video footage showed hundreds of Trump supporters breaching the famous Capitol building, climbing its surrounding scaffolding, waving Trump and Confederate flags and rioting – in an attempt to halt the democratic process. The Senate chamber was evacuated. As of press time Wednesday, one person had been shot and subsequently died.
“President Trump insisted on having this rally this morning and sending all these protestors down to Capitol Hill to stop the process. It was basically an effort to dismantle democracy and not allow the process under the Constitution to go forward. It’s just an outrage that he encouraged that,” U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) told The Two River Times Wednesday, safely in his office in Washington D.C. “I put the blame right on him and the other Republican senators and congressmen that are trying to disrupt the process, but we’re not going to let them disrupt it.”
The Two River Times reached out to U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4) but was unable to reach him by press time.
The process began at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, to count the Electoral College votes that would certify Biden’s victory. According to Pallone, election certifications are presented from each state, alphabetically. Republicans on the floor were expected to challenge the results from up to six states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – those contested by Trump after the election. The electoral votes from Arizona had been challenged and Congress had just retired from the floor to debate the merits of the challenge when the rioting began.
“We’re going to go back into session and we’re going to finish the certification of the election even if it takes all night through the next day because we want to protect the democracy and follow the Constitution,” said Pallone. “Trump has been preaching to overturn the election for weeks and this is the ultimate manifestation of it, which is very sad.”
While it was initially unclear if that would happen, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California confirmed late Wednesday that counting would resume. The building was secured around 5:40 p.m.
And while Pallone understands how everything looked Wednesday, he doesn’t want Americans to feel discouraged.
“I know a lot of people have been watching this and saying ‘Well this is terrible. What does this mean?’ But keep in mind, people voted, the elections were certified in all 50 states. We had another election yesterday in Georgia for two Senate seats,” he said. “Most people, overwhelmingly, Americans in both parties believe that we must continue our democracy and not let this mob that’s trying to disrupt it have their way. And I want people to be optimistic and understand that – we’re going to proceed and we’re not going to let this small group undermine the democratic process, as much as they try.”
The article originally appeared in the January 7 – 14, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
