Chris Van Hollen: “yesterday, we came together as a country--not as Republicans, not as Democrats or Independents, but as Americans--to…”

“yesterday, we came together as a country--not as Republicans, not as Democrats or Independents, but as Americans--to recognize the service and sacrifice of our veterans, men and women who served in uniform to protect our country and to defend our democracy. The ongoing attacks that President Trump has launched on our democracy are an insult to those who have sacrificed so much to defend, and so too is the complicity of so many Republican Senators right here in this body, who through their silence or active incitement are spreading Donald Trump's absurd false narrative that he won the election. Each of us--each of us in this body--has sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, to stand up for our democracy, and to support the peaceful transfer of power established there. My colleagues, it is time for every Senator to do your sworn duty and stand up for the Constitution and for our democracy. Make no mistake, on January 20, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next President of the United States and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the next Vice President of the United States. But that does not mean that what Donald Trump is doing now is harmless. That does not mean that the silence or active complicity of so many Republican Senators is harmless. It is downright dangerous to the health of our democracy and to our national security interests.…”