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Americans remain united in their condemnation of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and still expect those responsible to be held accountable. Today, the Senate fell just 10 votes shy of the two-thirds majority required to convict twice-impeached former President Donald Trump to hold him accountable for orchestrating and inciting the bloody attack on our democracy that left five people dead, and came dangerously close to many more deaths. Too many GOP Senators, fearing continued bullying from Donald Trump and primary challenges from extremists, chose political expediency and their own reelection over the safety of the nation and the well-being of our democracy.

Today, Common Cause called on every Member of the U.S. Senate to vote to convict former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection by a mob that stormed the United States Capitol, leaving five dead, in an attempt to stop certification of the legitimate election of Joe Biden as President. The letter urges Senators to defend the Constitution and the rule of law by voting “yes” to convict Trump on the incitement of insurrection article of impeachment, and to follow conviction with a vote to prevent Trump from holding office again. 

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn will testify before the House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on the “Constitutional Means to Prevent Abuse of the Clemency Power.” Her full written testimony was submitted to the Subcommittee in advance of the hearing. Other witnesses include Georgetown University Law Professor Caroline Fredrickson and historian Timothy Naftali of New York University.

Minority Leader McConnell’s (R-KY) decision to hold up the Senate’s organizing resolution over the filibuster rule was a trial balloon that failed. Americans voted for change and they expect the new President and the new Congress to address the pressing health, financial, structural racism, climate, and democracy crises facing our nation. McConnell, a fierce architect of obstruction throughout his tenure in Congress, has signaled his plans for the 117th Congress: Delay, deny, and distort the Majority’s right to set the chamber’s agenda at every turn. We have seen this before when McConnell spent six years abusing the filibuster at unprecedented levels during the Obama administration. This cannot be allowed to happen again.

Today, our country is headed in a different direction – and we welcome the change.  Today, the nation under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris charted a new course of aspiration and hope for every American regardless of the color of their skin or who they voted for on Election Day. We have turned away from a wayward course that undermined our democratic norms, truth, values, institutions, and the rule of law.

The nation deserved far better than Donald Trump in the White House these last four, very long years. In his final day as President, Donald Trump only continued to show his disregard for our democratic process. Overnight, he pardoned a laundry list of corrupt and convicted politicians, political fundraisers, and rich private citizens, along with still more of his inner circle. The number of Trump’s close political advisers who have been pardoned is staggering. They all join the parade of disgraced Americans and war criminals who were earlier pardoned by President Trump.