Biden said this isn't about beingbogged down in the past. This is about making sure the past is not forgotten. Great nations do that. They don't lie.
Biden called out Trump and his GOP allies. He's mostly kept his barbs to himself since taking office. Biden did not use Trump's name when he criticized the former president.
Biden did not want the speech to become a political battle between him and the former president.
Trump responded with a meandering statement that blasted Biden for using his name and went after the president's approach to inflation, Afghanistan and immigration.
The one-year anniversary of the Capitol riot is being marked by Democrats with their leaders trying to emphasize unity and sober reflection, as Biden's speech described rioters as holding a dagger to the throat of America. Republicans have largely supported Trump and his allies in their attempts to downplay the attack.
The Democrats have only one GOP lawmaker attend their events to mark the anniversary, and that is Liz Cheney, who is helping to investigate the former president.
While the House is not in session, nearly 30 Democrats trekked to Washington to attend their party events. Rioters broke into the building and trapped most of the members in the House gallery.
Dick Cheney, a former vice president and onetime member of House GOP leadership, arrived for a moment of silence with his daughter. After the moment of silence, both Cheneys were greeted with handshakes by nearly every Democrat in the chamber, including hugs and warm words for Liz Cheney from Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Few senior Democrats would have predicted 15 years ago that the senior Cheney would receive a warm welcome from the Democrats.
The former vice president told reporters that Republican leadership was not like the ones he knew when he was here.
When asked if he was disappointed by how GOP leaders have treated Liz Cheney, he said her daughter could take care of herself.
January 6th is an historic event. "I am deeply disappointed that many members of my party did not recognize the seriousness of the January 6 attacks and the ongoing threat to our nation," Cheney said in a statement on his attendance.
The string of events planned by Pelosi were intended to focus on those who survived the attack rather than those who caused the violence. There is a prayer on the Capitol steps and a series of testimonials.
Pelosi personally thanked building staff for their role in protecting the Capitol at a private event. Several Democrats who were in the chamber during the attack served lunch to the staff.
The Senate Democrats paid tribute to the attack on their chamber floor with speeches and a moment of silence, but a vote was not scheduled and many members were in Atlanta for the funeral of a colleague.
Chuck Schumer recalled the moment when a police officer grabbed his collar and told him he was in danger.
Schumer said he was within 30 feet of the insurrectionists. I was told that one of them wanted to get the big Jew. bigotry against all is against one.
The effect on the building was a key focus, but Biden and many Democrats also sought to play up the stark contrast between their party and the GOP, most of whom remain loyal to Trump. GOP leaders have told their colleagues to focus on the security flaws at the Capitol rather than worry about the traumatic effects of the riot.
Although Trump called off his press conference, his supporters in the House still intend to promote a distorted narrative of what happened that day. Two of them, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida, are going to repeat conspiracy theories about the riot at a press conference.
Some of the 10 House Republicans who joined Democrats to impeach Trump for inciting the riot continued to condemn the former president.
Any reasonable person could have seen the potential for violence that day. One of the 10 who voted to impeach Trump was Tom Rice.
McConnell did not mention Trump by name in his statement, but he said the mob was provoked by Trump. The Capitol assault was denounced by McConnell as a disgrace and antithetical to the rule of law.
Vice President Harris called on the Senate to advance voting rights legislation. The Electoral Count Act, passed more than a century ago to govern the certification of presidential election results, but without the broader changes to election administration that are insisted upon by top Democrats, is open to a narrower change by Senate Republicans.
Democrats in the House have been investigating the attack on the building. The impact of its work is not known. Democrats are racing to finish their investigation by year's end, as their grip on the majority looks increasingly in doubt ahead of the elections. Several panel members are leaving Congress.
The Republicans would not be able to finish where the panel left off. Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, has recently trained his frustration on Democrats and accused them of politicizing the pro-Trump attack.
The report was contributed to by two people.
