Bipartisan effort needed for nation’s wounds
Democractic, Republican politicians need to unite against Trump’s actions and help guarantee a smooth transition to the president’s successors
On Wednesday, the U.S. Capitol was attacked and overrun by an unruly mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters. While many failures contributed to this incident — the biggest has stared us in the face for four years — the appeasement by Republicans of Donald Trump. While I did not vote for Trump and did not want him to win, I did want him to be successful for the sake of our nation and I prayed that he would rise to the responsibility of the office.
When first elected to Congress in 2018, I came to Washington, like many of my peers, ready to work with whomever I could to advance the interests of our district and the country. Having served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, I looked up to bipartisan leaders such as the late Sen. John McCain and President-elect Joe Biden — true statesmen who always put country over party. I assumed that most members of Congress were similar to them.
I was wrong. What I quickly learned was there are workhorses and show-horses. Social media and partisan media networks have created a lot more showhorses: members who care more about media hits than principles; caucuses that care more about amending tricky language to a bill in order to create attack ads, than the content of the underlying bill; members who are more concerned about a negative tweet from Trump than they are about the destruction of our republic.
In 2019, when I voted to send Articles of Impeachment against President Trump to the U.S. Senate, I did so without regard to the potential consequence for my own re-election. I did it because the president was unfit to continue to serve. I based this on his actions which demonstrated his abuse of his office for personal gain and a disregard for our national security.
His actions this week to incite sedition proved that I, and my colleagues, were right and we remain so today. Donald Trump must be removed from office by whatever legal means possible, even if there is only a matter of days remaining in this administration.
Yet, even after domestic terrorists overtook and looted the U.S. Capitol resulting in the loss of life, 139 Republican members of the House of Representatives voted to overturn the election of Joe
Biden and Kamala Harris, including the top-ranking Republican. Why? Because they have to keep the “base” happy in their gerrymandered districts and they care more about being re-elected than doing what they know is right. I have voted for Republicans and Democrats, always looking at the person more than the letter beside their name, but I don’t recognize this Republican Party — today’s party of Trump.
This week, I have a diminished respect for many of my colleagues, some of whom I have worked very closely with over the past two years. However, I have gained more respect for many others such as Reps. Liz Cheney, R-WY; Mike Gallagher, R-WI; Adam Kinzinger, R-IL; and others who have spoken for what is right and have courageously put country over party.
Moving forward we can choose to be bitter, sarcastic and divided — but I choose instead to be hopeful.
Hopeful than on Jan. 20 we will find the strength to come together as a Congress and a nation. Hopeful that more of my Republican colleagues will reflect on the damage done to our country over past four years through their appeasement of Donald Trump and will participate in the work necessary to heal these wounds. And lastly, hopeful that I will rise to the challenge that these times demand, but I will rise with my eyes wide open.
Congresswoman Elaine Luria represents Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the vice chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she serves as chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee.