Alex Padilla: “colleagues, this coming Monday is Memorial Day. Many of us are making our plans to commemorate the holiday, the weekend…”

“colleagues, this coming Monday is Memorial Day. Many of us are making our plans to commemorate the holiday, the weekend, where we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our Nation and in defense of our democracy-- those brave Americans and so many others who have worked, fought, and died for more than 200 years to protect our system of government--of the people, by the people, for the people. Upholding that legacy is our highest duty, and it is in that spirit that I rise today. On November 3, 2020, I was serving as California's secretary of state. It was my privilege for 6 years to serve as the chief elections officer in our Nation's most populous and most diverse State, and I can tell you that even in the best of times, election administration is complex. Elections are consequential operations. Last year, our elections workers at all levels of government faced the additional, unprecedented challenge of administering an election during a global health pandemic. And I am proud to say that they rose to the occasion to protect the democratic legacy that we hold and trust. And, as a result, California's election officials administered an accessible, secure, and safe election, which drew historic voter turnout. Indeed, by every objective measure, the 2020 elections were a national success.…”