Statement of Support for the House Jan. 6 Committee and Judge J. Michael Luttig

Statement by Members of Checks and Balances issuing our support for the work of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol and commendation of Judge J. Michael Luttig’s testimony:

On January 6, 2021, a riotous mob forced its way into the Capitol, bent on mayhem and on preventing the House and Senate from performing their core statutory and constitutional functions to maintain our system of government. By any definition this was an attempted insurrection. The mob succeeded in delaying the scheduled Congressional session but ultimately did not prevent the discharge of Congress’s responsibility in accordance with normal procedures. But that was only because of the courage of the congressional staff, security forces, and the determination of the members of Congress, a substantial number of whom—along with the Vice President—were forced to seek safety in secret chambers.

It is the hallmark of a democracy that, after an election, power is transferred according to the will of the people expressed through the procedures established by the Constitution in an orderly way. As the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol investigates how the January 6 mob disrupted and nearly prevented this essential function of our constitutional system, several individuals have distinguished themselves in their actions attempting to prevent the attack and in counseling against former President Trump’s larger goal of overturning the results of the 2020 election. Former United States Circuit Judge Mike Luttig earned particular distinction in his testimony before the committee.

Judge Luttig is an outstanding example of courage and integrity, and the American people should heed the gravity of his statement given to the Committee. As he wrote, “America’s democracy was almost stolen from us on January 6. Our democracy has never been tested like it was on that day and it will never be tested again as it was then if we learn the lessons of that fateful day.” We are a nation of laws, and no one person has the power in our constitutional framework to determine the results of an election. Again, we share Judge Luttig’s sentiment that “while for some, that is their wish, that cannot be our wish for America.”

For anyone who is brave enough to stand for our democratic system, whether it is the members of the House Select Committee, those who appear before them, or those who have taken actions opposing the whims of the mob that we saw on January 6, we commend their stand. We continue to support the Committee’s indispensable work, and we applaud unambiguously every instance of someone standing up for democratic process. As the Committee continues its hearings and investigation, we encourage others with knowledge of the attack or the larger plot to overturn the election to come forward. The rule of law and accountability to the American people demand no less.