CINCINNATI — U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) issued the following statement on the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week, threats of additional violence in the coming days, and the need to ensure an orderly transition of power:
“As I said on January 6, the attack on the U.S. Capitol was an attack on democracy itself. Anyone who took part in illegal activities should be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Portman. “In my role leading the bipartisan Senate oversight investigation with Senators Peters, Blunt, and Klobuchar into the January 6 tragedy, I have received law enforcement briefings, including today from FBI officials and the US Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. Law enforcement has assured me that they are moving forward with prosecutions of those who engaged in the violence and other unlawful activities on January 6.”
“Both in his words before the attack on the Capitol and in his actions afterward, President Trump bears some responsibility for what happened on January 6. We are now hearing from the FBI and others about the threat of additional violence in Washington, DC and at state capitols around the country between now and President-Elect Biden’s inauguration on January 20. These reports are deeply concerning. Violence is never the answer, and we must take all threats seriously. The orderly and peaceful transfer of power on January 20 is a hallmark of our democracy,” he said.
“Today, I call on President Trump to address the nation and explicitly urge his supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence. If our nation experiences additional violence and destruction at the hands of his supporters in Washington DC and state capitols around the country, and he does not directly and unambiguously speak out now when threats are known, he will bear responsibility,” Portman added.
“Now is the time to work together to heal our country. My hope is that the tragic attack on the Capitol on January 6 can serve to unite us rather than divide us further. We need to come together to face enormous challenges, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine distribution, the worsening drug addiction epidemic, and the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. I look forward to working with the Biden administration and my colleagues to address these and many other priorities on behalf of Ohio and our nation,” he concluded.
