January 8, 2022
Dear Friends,
One year ago on Thursday, I stood in the House gallery as a mob of rioters, incited by former President Trump, conducted an unprecedented assault on the U.S. Capitol and on democracy itself as they sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In the wake of this onslaught, hundreds were injured and several Americans lost their lives as a result of this violent attack, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died defending us and our very democracy. Countless more Americans, members of Congress, staff, media, and those who witnessed the insurrection continue to feel the impacts of that dark day for our democracy.
Yet we cannot forget that, despite it all, our republic prevailed.
Following that attack on our seat of American government, Congress returned that evening to act on the will of the people by validating what was a free and fair election and confirm Joe Biden the President of the United States.
On Thursday, I travelled to the Capitol alongside many of my colleagues to reflect on one year since this attack and to honor the service and sacrifice of our Capitol Police, the DC Metropolitan Police Department and the National Guard, whose courage held our democracy that day.
Many questions remain unanswered about the January 6th insurrection. I applaud the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack for their dedication in uncovering the truth of that day to ensure that an attack at the heart of our nation never happens again. And I commend the federal investigators continuing to work to bring those responsible to justice.
There is no mistaking—our work to defend our democracy is far from over. Former President Trump and his allies continue to propagate their lies of election fraud, and efforts across the country continue at the state and local level to suppress the right to vote and silence the people’s voice.
Following the horrors of this attack, my resolve has only strengthened to ensure that we safeguard the fundamental rights of all Americans. To that end, I have continued to push for H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation advanced in the House last year that would promote government transparency, strengthen access to the ballot box, make it easier for Americans to exercise their right to vote, secure election infrastructure, and combat voting discrimination.
As President Biden stated in his remarks on Thursday, “Now it’s up to all of us—“We the People”—to stand for the rule of law, to preserve the flame of democracy, to keep the promise of America alive.”
As we begin to move forward from that dark day, let us do so together, united by our love of the freedoms of America, strengthened by the courage of its people, and resolute in our belief of building a better, more just, and more equal nation for all.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind here is some information from the IRS that may be of interest to you:
- The IRS is sending information letters to all recipients of advance Child Tax Credit payments or the third round of Economic Impact Payments.
- If you receive one of these letters, do not throw it away. These letters can help you or your tax professional prepare your 2021 federal tax return.
- Continuing through the month of January, the IRS is sending a letter to each recipient of advance child tax credit payments, which will include the total amount of payments received in 2021 and the number of qualifying children used to calculate the payments.
- People who received the advance payments can also check the amount of their payments by using the CTC Update Portal on IRS.gov.
- Eligible families who did not receive advance payments can claim the full amount of the child tax credit on their 2021 federal tax return.
- Beginning in late January, the IRS will send a letter to each recipient of the third round of Economic Impact Payments, to help recipients determine if they are entitled to claim the recovery rebate credit on their 2021 federal tax return.
- This round of payments were advance payments of the 2021 recovery rebate credit. If you have not received these payments, you can review your information on IRS.gov to determine your eligibility and whether you need to claim your credit.
- More information about the 2021 advance child tax credit, Economic Impact Payments, and other COVID-19-related tax relief is available at IRS.gov.
