Local congressman issues statement regarding incident at U.S. Capitol
–Rep. Salud Carbajal issued the following statement after violent rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday:
“I want to thank you all for your concern. My wife, staff, and I remain safe within the capitol complex. I am now being told that the capitol has been secured and congress will proceed with certifying the election later tonight.
“The outgoing president has spent the past four years working to erode our institutions and undermine faith in our democracy. It is shameful that he has used his last days in office to incite violence and destruction in our nation’s capital. I fully support the First Amendment right to protest peacefully. What we saw today was not a peaceful protest, it was an attempted coup. I hope and expect that the perpetrators of theft, violence, and destruction are brought to justice.
“Let me be clear: intimidation tactics will not deter Congress from doing our job. We will return to the house floor tonight to fulfill our constitutional duty to certify the election and send the duly elected President-Elect Joe Biden to the White House. Democracy will prevail.”
Rep. Salud Carbajal represents California’s 24th congressional district, encompassing Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and part of Ventura County.